WITHIN the past six weeks or so, it has been a case of musical chairs at the top of the trainers’ championship leaderboard.
There have been five different trainers chopping and changing positions after either collecting winning trebles, four-timers, or in the case of Mark Newnham, a five-timer at Happy Valley a fortnight ago.
The main protagonists are current leader Mark Newnham on 45 wins, Caspar Fownes on 43, Danny Shum with 41 and David Hayes and Francis Lui who are level on 40 wins apiece. They are all worth keeping a close eye on in their present form.
Fownes holds his lofty position near the top of the table thanks to sending out 30 of his 43 winners at his favourite track Happy Valley. That said, it would be unfair to call him a one-trick pony, and he has already collected three wins on the all-weather surface at Sha Tin.
One of his seven raiders, the lightly-raced NO OTHER CHOICE, carries bottom-weight in the six-furlong Ma Tau Wai Handicap (1.15pm).
This Australian import caught the eye recently, when finishing strongly from an outside draw, and making up many lengths in the closing stages.
This time coming from the inside gate, he is set for a more economical journey. He’ll likelier sit closer to the early blistering pace set by Pi Legend, Speedy Smartie and Flowing Riches, and then hopefully run them down in the closing stages.
Finally, watch out for 25-year-old apprentice and Chinese-born Nichola Yuen, who joins the jockey ranks in Hong Kong. She partners a handful of gallopers who are all worth paying close attention to.
Having already ridden around 70 winners in Australia and New Zealand, her 10-pound claim is going to be worth its weight in gold.
POINTERS
No Other Choice 1.15pm Sha Tin
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