Matthew Poon Ming-fai gets an early chance to prove he isn’t a one-dimensional, jump-and-run apprentice when the young gun rides Solar Hei Hei for new boss David Hall in the Lustiano Challenge Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin.
After 117 wins in South Australia, Poon arrives with a big reputation and has nine rides on the 10-race card, including four for Hall.
Most newcomers, especially with the 10-pound claim, make their mark with front-running rides, as was shown last season with the success of Kei Chiong Ka-kei.
Yet “The Poon Train”, as he was nicknamed Down Under, has also shown he can win from behind, and his former boss, trainer Richard Jolly, has been complementary about the 23-year-old’s ability to think his way through a race.
That tactical poise will need to come to the fore in a mile contest containing a couple of on-pace runners, but if Poon gets it right from a perfect draw, Solar Hei Hei can make the most the claim and win for the first time this season.
After two wins late last term put Solar Hei Hei deep into Class Two, the five-year-old has raced well this time in without winning, going within a head of clinching the Chevalier Cup in November and drawing terrible gates on other occasions.
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Last start, apprentice Jack Wong Ho-nam made a somewhat surprising move to go forward on Solar Hei Hei at 1,800m, fellow seven-pound claimer Chiong denying him the lead on Let Us Win and creating a high pressure sectional.
Solar Hei Hei was then softened up from the outside by Circuit Hassler, before Prawn Baba swooped and beat Hall’s horse into second.
Solar Hei Hei finished ahead of some handy types including Circuit Hassler and Limitless, while Prawn Baba has since run home for a nice seventh in the BMW Hong Kong Derby.
Now Solar Hei Hei comes back to a distance where he is stronger and from barrier four Poon should be gifted a chance at a perfect run just off the leaders.
The obvious two to take the running are Lucky Girl (Nash Rawiller) and What Else But You (Karis Teetan), while Winner’s Way (Matthew Chadwick) will want to be close and maps well.
Winner’s Way was pushed from a wide draw into a pace battle in the Hong Kong Classic Cup last start, and as Western Express showed last week, the form out of the four-year-old series is looking strong this season.
Joao Moreira gets on lightweight chance Baba Mama for the first time and although Peter Ho Leung’s four-year-old has raced handy at times, that has been from low draws, and he is likely to go back after coming up with 12 of 12.
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From a rearward position, Baba Mama’s chances will probably be dictated by tempo, although the Magic Man’s record of late – including 24 wins in March alone – suggest he might pull a rabbit out of his hat.
From a future perspective, keep a close watch on the John Moore-trained import Rocketeer (Douglas Whyte), a three-year-old purchased with the 2018 BMW Hong Kong Derby in mind.
Rocketeer was second in the Group Two Norman Robinson Stakes late last year for former trainer Mick Price and resumes at Sha Tin after two trials.
