Happy Valley will witness a strong eight-race programme on Wednesday, 16 September, with Le Zonda hat-trick bid taking centre stage in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Shek O Handicap over 1650m. The Irish import will carry 117lb and will team up with Vincent Ho as he looks to continue his winning run at the city circuit.
Le Zonda will arrive at the feature race after recording back-to-back victories at Happy Valley in June and July. On both occasions, the gelding will produce powerful finishes after making significant ground from the rear. Another success will give him three consecutive wins and will further strengthen his claims for a rise into stronger company.
Ho will return to the saddle after enjoying a treble at the previous week’s meeting. He will have a favourable draw to work with as Le Zonda will start from barrier four. The jockey will expect the gelding to improve again and will look for a similar finishing effort when the race begins to unfold.
Le Zonda Hat-Trick Bid Faces Strong Opposition
The Le Zonda hat-trick bid will come against a competitive group of runners, with Speed Dragon carrying the top weight of 135lb. Massive Sovereign and Sagacious Life will each carry 132lb, while Helene Feeling and Huge Wave will race off 129lb.
Packing Angel and Silvery Breeze will carry 127lb apiece, followed by Max Que on 125lb. Californiatotality will carry 123lb, while Awesome Fluke will have 121lb. Armor Golden Eagle will share the 117lb mark with Le Zonda.
Le Zonda will not need to settle too far behind the field. Ho will be able to allow him to relax before asking for his finishing effort, with his ability to switch off during a race giving the jockey useful options. His strong turn of foot will again be expected to become an important factor over the 1650m distance.
Before arriving in Hong Kong, Le Zonda will have raced in Ireland under the name Beckman for trainer Ger Lyons. He will have recorded victories at the Curragh and Naas before making the move to Hong Kong.
Since joining the Hong Kong racing scene, Le Zonda will have recorded two wins from eight starts. Both victories will have come at Happy Valley over 1800m, where he will have shown his ability to make up considerable ground during the final stages.
Massive Sovereign will add further class to the contest. The 2024 Hong Kong Derby winner over 2000m will be among the runners yet to score at Happy Valley, alongside Sagacious Life. Their presence will provide an additional challenge for Le Zonda as he looks to maintain his unbeaten run during his recent two-start winning sequence.
Armor Golden Eagle will also attract attention after building a strong record at Happy Valley last season. The horse will have made five appearances at the track during the previous campaign and will have won three times. Andrea Atzeni will take the ride and will look to make the most of that previous course experience.
More Action Across the Happy Valley Programme
Rosewood Fleetfoot will return in the Class 4 Big Wave Bay Handicap over 1800m. The 123lb runner will reunite with Karis Teetan after producing victories over 2200m. Teetan will expect the horse to perform well over the longer trip and will report a positive feel from his work on Monday, 14 September.
Dazzling Fit will make his Happy Valley debut in the Class 3 Chung Hom Kok Handicap over 1650m. The five-year-old will return after taking part in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series. Trainer David Eustace will have given him a break following that demanding campaign and will expect him to show greater versatility as a five-year-old.
Zac Purton will ride Dazzling Fit from barrier one. Purton will also have a recent association with Jimmy Ting’s Little Paradise, the Group 3 winner who will have completed a dirt trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday. The horse will cover 1200m in 1m 11.21s during the trial.
The Wednesday meeting will begin at 7.10pm with the Class 5 Hoi Mei Handicap over 1000m. The Class 2 Shek O Handicap will provide the main attraction later in the programme, with Le Zonda aiming to turn his latest two victories into a three-race winning sequence.
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