Hong Kong Spot Plays: A double for Quadruple Double?

Racing continues at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019. An abundance of competitive fields have been assembled, particularly during the second half of the 1o-race card, which kicks off at 11:15 p.m. (ET) on Saturday for racing fans in North America.

We’ll focus our attention on races 6 and 9, in which a couple of horses with strong recent form appear poised to continue their winning ways:

Race 6: Lukfook Jewellery Dear Q Handicap (Class 4)

The majority of the 14 runners in this 1,600-meter turf test bring uninspiring recent form to the equation; only a handful have finished better than third during the 2019-20 season, and only one has reached the winner’s circle against Class 4 company.

That one runner is #1 Emerald Spur. Conditioned by runaway leading trainer Ricky Yiu (who is winning at a terrific 20% rate), Emerald Spur opened the season with back-to-back victories sprinting 1,400 meters again Class 4 company. In both races, Emerald Spur unleashed powerful rallies from off the pace to prevail in the final strides.

Emerald Spur finished fourth in another 1,400-meter event on Dec. 8, but he was beaten only a neck while closing ground strongly at the finish. He will stretch out in distance on Sunday, and since this race doesn’t contain much speed on paper, Emerald Spur should be able to settle closer to the early pace. From there, expect him to kick on strongly down the stretch, even while wheeling back on short rest. His strong recent form at this class level makes him a standout.

• $26 to win on #1 Emerald Spur

Race 9: Lukfook Jewellery Pt Collection Handicap (Class 3)

There isn’t a ton of speed in this 1,200-meter turf dash, which could allow the improving #9 Quadruple Double to record a third victory from his last four starts. A front-running four-year-old, Quadruple Double won a Class 4 handicap over this course and distance just two weeks ago, leading all the way to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths.

The jump in class is an obvious question mark, but his primary pace rival-- #3 Team Spirit -- has been in declining form, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be an aggressive pace factor. Breaking from the rail, Quadruple Double should be able to sprint to the front, save ground around the turn, and kick on down the lane to win at a fair price.

Let’s bet Quadruple Double to win and play him in the omni/swinger with #4 Computer Patch, a Group 2-experienced competitor from Australia. A three-year-old son of Exceed and Excel, Computer Patch has shown some speed in barrier trials and can be dangerous in his local debut for legendary trainer John Moore.

• $13 to win on #9 Quadruple Double
• $13 omni/swinger: 4,9

Good luck!