Happy Valley preview & best bets | Wednesday 17/5/2023
| What | Happy Valley Races |
| Where | Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong |
| When | Wednesday, May 17, 2023 |
| First Race | 6:45pm HKT (8:45pm AEST) |
We’re back racing under lights at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday night with a competitive nine-race program on the cards. The rail is in the B position the entire circuit and we should be getting much better conditions than what we’ve seen at the last two Hong Kong racing meetings. The first race is scheduled to get underway at 6:45pm HKT (8:45pm AEST).
Best Bet: Romantic Laos
Romantic Laos is unlucky not to be searching for his third-straight win of the campaign after just missing out at this course and distance on April 26. Jockey Zac Purton got further back in the runner than he would’ve liked on this son of Pins on that occasion, and this time drawing barrier two should see Romantic Laos get a much more economical run throughout the 1650m journey. His win prior at Sha Tin over the 1400m showed the makings of a nice type moving forward, and the Jamie Richards yard has got this four-year-old going well this preparation. Romantic Laos is better than Class 4 company and a win on Wednesday night should see him move up the grades.
Best Bet
Race 2 – 
#1 Romantic Laos (2)
4yo Gelding | T: Jamie Richards | J: Zac Purton (61kg)
Next Best: Holy Power
We’ll be hoping Jamie Richards and Zac Purton can combine for the second time on Wednesday evening with Holy Power catching our eye in the fourth race of the program. He’ll be searching for his second career victory after debuting as a winner back on December 18. His runs since have been plagued by horror barriers or unfortunate runs in transit, meaning we haven’t seen the best of this gelding by Power. We expect this time Purton will try to ping the lids from barrier three and put his fit mount onto the leader’s back, and when the race goes on, Holy Power — with even luck –should prove too strong for his rivals.
Next Best
Race 4 – 
#1 Holy Power (3)
4yo Gelding | T: Jamie Richards | J: Zac Purton (61kg)
Next Best Again: Up And Up
Up And Up is set to have just his second Hong Kong start for the Danny Shum barn, and after his first-up fourth he’s sure to have plenty of admirers. His trials leading into his effort on April 19 were only even to the eye; however, when it came to race-day this son of Invincible Spirit wasn’t far away from producing a winning performance in an eight-horse field. He swung wide over the Happy Valley 1650m and was almost able to chase down his opposition, having to settle for fourth — one length off Viva Hunter. He now finds the 1800m and gets the key booking of Zac Purton. We expect Up And Up to sit somewhere mid-field with cover before showing his best late to be right in the finish.
Next Best Again
Race 7 – 
#6 Up And Up (7)
4yo Gelding | T: Danny Shum | J: Zac Purton (55.5kg)
Happy Valley quadrella selections
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
- 3-6-7-10
- 1-2-3-6
- 3-6-7-8-11
- 2-5-6-8-11
Investment: $400 for 100%