Sha Tin racing preview, best bets & quaddie | April 23, 2023
| What | Sha Tin Races |
| Where | Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong |
| When | Sunday, April 23, 2023 |
| First Race | 1pm HKT (3pm AEST) |
Hong Kong racing is back at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday afternoon for a strong 10-race program. We’ve got six races on the turf, while four will take place on the all-weather circuit. The weather on Wednesday night at Happy Valley was less than ideal, and that will seemingly continue with rain forecast across the weekend. The rail is in the C+3 position for all the turf contests, so look for some horses on-speed to see some advantage throughout the card – although conditions will be the major factor. The first race is set to get underway at 1pm HKT (3pm AEST).
Best Bet: Galvanic
The first leg of the quaddie is where you’ll find our best bet in the form of Galvanic. Zac Purton and Jamie Richards will be looking to combine with this son of Ilovethiscity for the first time, and with three minor placings in his last three starts, he looks set to peak on Sunday afternoon. Galvanic has had horrid luck with barrier draws of 10, 6, 12 and 13 all but putting an end to his winning hopes, always doing plenty of work to find a position in his races. This time he gets barrier two and we think Purton can employ tactics to either lead or get on the leader’s back throughout the 1400m journey. He gets a 3kg swing in the weights against his key rival Lost Child, who beat him by 2.1 lengths last time out, and with a lovely tick-over beaten runs, we think Galvanic can turn the tables. You’ll be taking a Purton tax on a horse that is yet to break his maiden, but we think it’ll be worthwhile.
Best Bet
Race 7 – 
#7 Galvanic (2)
3yo Gelding | T: Jamie Richards | J: Zac Purton (58.5kg)
Next Best: Hava Nageela
Hava Nageela was finally able to break his maiden last time out, and despite getting a 4.5kg penalty for that winning performance, we think he can make it back-to-back wins. He won at this course and distance on March 29 and cleared out on his rivals to score an impressive 2.8-length victory. He meets an almost identical field from that win, and even with them meeting him much better at the weights, it is hard to see anything from that race flipping the script on this son of Aclaim. It was a confidence-building win for backers of this four-year-old, and now with faith restored we think he can go on with the job in Class 3 company. He seems to love the all-weather circuit, and from barrier five in this small field, look for Silvestre de Sousa to press forward to take luck out of the equation. If he gets cover throughout the 1650m, it’s hard to see Hava Nageela not figuring here.
Next Best
Race 1 – 
#3 Hava Nageela (5)
4yo Gelding | T: Frankie Lor | Silvestre de Sousa (61kg)
Next Best Again: Midori Beauty
Midori Beauty makes his return from a 18-week spell and looks to have returned in supreme order for this preparation. He finished his last campaign in disappointing fashion when beaten convincingly at Happy Valley on January 11; however, his form prior to that effort on both the Sha Tin turf and all-weather circuits reads much better. We’re going to take him on his first-up effort for the season when he ran second over this course and distance with the rail in the same position as this weekend. He was beaten less than a length by Happy Sharing and based on his barrier trials leading into Sunday, we think he can replicate that performance. Matthew Chadwick takes the reins and from barrier three should try to be positive. Midori Beauty does have a knack of missing the kick, but if he can bounce nicely from the gate, he should find this a manageable task on return.
Next Best Again
Race 8 – 
#3 Midori Beauty (3)
4yo Gelding | T: Chris So | J: Matthew Chadwick (58.5kg)
Best Value: California Voce
California Voce will be making his Hong Kong debut for the newly appointed Tony Cruz yard. We’ll be looking for a Matthew Chadwick race-to-race double as this gelding by Bated Breath has been stellar at the barrier trials since his arrival. He won on soft ground at Naas over the 1600m, and if he brings any of that form to go alongside his jump-outs, he can only run well on Sunday. He’s drawn to find a mid-field sit with cover and he’s going to give us a bold sight with online bookmakers when markets open. You should be getting a double-figure quote for California Voce, and if you do, an each-way bet is the way to play.
Best Value
Race 9 – 
#3 California Voce (6)
3yo Gelding | T: Tony Cruz | Matthew Chadwick (60.5kg)
Hong Kong quaddie tips for Sha Tin races
Sha Tin quadrella selections
Sunday, April 23, 2023
- 1-2-7-9
- 1-3-4-5
- 1-3-5-10-13
- 1-2-6-7-10-12
Investment: $480 for 100%