Hong Kong Spot Plays: Be Ready for Victory

As we charge into the month of May, racing continues at Happy Valley in Hong Kong with a nine-race card on Wednesday. First post time is 6:45 p.m. ET, so be sure to wake up early!

As usual, there are several quality sprints on the agenda. We’ll focus our attention on races 3 and 6, and hope to cash a couple of winning spot plays:

Race 3: Gladiolus Handicap (Class 4, 7:45 a.m. ET)

#4 Yee Cheong Pegasus has only run four times this season, cracking the exacta on every occasion, and he enters this 1,200-meter race seemingly poised for a peak effort. On Apr. 15, Yee Cheong Pegasus produced a powerful rally from behind a slow pace to finish second over this class, course, and distance, sprinting the final 400 meters in a blazing :21.95 to miss by less than a length.

For Wednesday’s test, Yee Cheong Pegasus will pick up the services of leading jockey Joao Moreira, a sign that trainer Tony Millard is expecting a big run. We’ll bet Yee Cheong Pegasus to win and key him in a hefty quinella with #2 Good Shot. The latter rallied to win over this class, course, and distance on Apr. 8, which marked just the second start of his budding career. There’s plenty of upside here, giving Good Shot a literal good shot to finish in the top two:

• $26 to Win on #4 Yee Cheong Pegasus
• $26 Quinella: 2,4

Race 6: Carnation Handicap (Class 3, 9:15 a.m. ET)

There’s a ton of speed entered in this 1,000-meter dash, with #2 Larson, #7 Very Sweet Orange, #10 Victory in Hand, and #11 Handsome Rebel likely to ensure a blazing pace from start to finish. As a result, #3 Be Ready may receive the trip he needs to secure his first victory in Hong Kong.

A four-time winner in Australia, Be Ready has shown promise locally for trainer Frankie Lor. Though he was beaten a length by Larson on Apr. 8, Be Ready showed tenacity to overcome a slow start and sprint the final two 400-meter sectionals in :21.38 and :22.32 to miss by just a length.

Be Ready should receive a faster pace to work with on Wednesday, and breaking from post 3 should set up a ground-saving trip under reigning champion jockey Zac Purton. Let’s bet Be Ready to win and play him in the omni/swinger with Larson:

• $13 to Win on #3 Be Ready
• $13 Omni/Swinger: 2,3

Good luck!