Sha Tin preview, best bets & quaddie | Sunday, January 1
| What | Sha Tin Races |
| Where | Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong |
| When | Sunday, January 1, 2022 |
| First Race | 12:30pm HKT (3:30pm AEDT) |
New Year’s Day racing heads to Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday afternoon for a quality 11-race program set for decision, including the Group 3 feature Chinese Club Challenge Cup over the 1400m. We’ve got a field of six accepted for this one as Lucky Sweynesse will be looking to redeem its unlucky effort in the Hong Kong International Races sprint back on December 11.
We should be in for a beautiful day of racing with perfect conditions anticipated for Sunday afternoon as the rail moves to the C course and a firm track expected for a mammoth program. The first race is set to get underway at 12:30pm HKT (3:30pm AEDT)
Chinese Club Challenge Cup Top Tip: Lucky Sweynesse
We found it too difficult to go past the likely favourite in the 1400m feature as Lucky Sweynesse looks to find his eighth career win on Sunday afternoon, and just his second win over this track and distance. His Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) run on December 11 was an unfortunate watch if you backed him as he never saw daylight when getting caught up on the rail turning for home as eventual winner Wellington was able to storm down the middle of the track beating Lucky Sweynesse by 2.5 lengths. In this small field we think Zac Purton takes all luck out of the equation either leading or taking a sit in behind the horse drawn his inside, Healthy Happy, before kicking clear of his rivals, that while well weighted against him, don’t have his quality. If he gets a nice run-in transit, we find him hard to beat on Sunday afternoon.
Chinese Club Challenge Cup
Race 8 – 
#2 Lucky Sweynesse (6)
4yo Gelding | T: Manfred Man | J: Zac Purton (61kg)
Best Bet at Sha Tin: Beauty Eternal
Beauty Eternal is clearly the best bet of the afternoon on Sunday as he returns to the track after the better part of two months away and two enormous performances at Sha Tin so far in his short career. His first career win was special when three-wide no cover the entire trip before running his rivals into the ground to salute by 2 lengths, then found nothing but trouble on November 6 when caught between runners to be everyone’s black booker for the meeting. He’s had a small tick-over trial on the all-weather since that performance and looks to be flying for John Size as he was able to win that barrier trial in a canter. Zac Purton takes the reins again and only needs to find a spot midrace to be carving them up again. He’s a special type and is far too good for Class 3 as he’s a Group horse in the making.
Best Bet
Race 9 – 
#5 Beauty Eternal (6)
4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (55kg)
Next Best at Sha Tin: Superb Boy
Zac Purton and Francis Lui will be looking to combine again with Superb Boy in the penultimate race of the afternoon over the 1000m down the Sha Tin straight. His first-up win was won in electric time running a 56:09 on October 23 before missing the start completely second-up from an awkward draw on December 4. He’s flying this son Nicconi and if he can jump evenly from barrier-12 on Sunday we think he can figure again as he’s got plenty of upside moving forward. He gets in well with the 56.5kg and provided Zac Purton can have him in striking distance with 200m to go, he looks very hard to hold out.
Next Best
Race 10 – 
#7 Superb Boy (12)
4yo Gelding | T: Francis Lui | J: Zac Purton (56.5kg)
Best Value at Sha Tin: Chilli Baba
We head back down the Sha Tin straight in the fifth race of the program to find our best value bet in the form of Chilli Baba. This son of Capitalist is making his debut as a three-year-old but more importantly with five terrific barrier trials under his belt, with his latest being a winning effort against now Class 3 galloper Accelerando. Chilli Baba went on to win the 1200m trial on the Conghua by a half-length against some nice types and we feel may sneak under the radar when markets open on Sunday morning. He’s drawn the perfect gate down the straight with 14 and the rail on his inside, so look for jockey Vincent Ho to ping the lids and find the front before kicking away from his main dangers in the form of Oriental Spirit, Precision Goal and Sparkling Knight who granted all have claims. It’s a competitive race, but we feel Chilli Baba could have some X-factor in this first-up assignment.
Best Value
Race 5 – 
#5 Chilli Baba (14)
3yo Gelding | T: Ricky Yiu | J: Vincent Ho (57.5kg)
HK Sunday quaddie tips for Sha Tin races
Sha Tin quadrella selections
Sunday, January 1, 2022
- 2-4
- 5
- 2-7-8-9-10
- 2-3-4-7-12
Investment: $50 for 100%