Sha Tin racing preview & quaddie picks | November 19, 2023
| What | Sha Tin Races |
| Where | Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong |
| When | Sunday, November 19, 2023 |
| First Race | 12:30pm HKT (3:30pm AEDT) |
Hong Kong racing heads to Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon for a blockbuster 11-race program set for decision. The Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), Group 2 Jockey Club Mile (1600m) and Group 2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m) headline the bumper card, signifying the Hong Kong International Races aren’t far away.
The track should be in pristine Good 4 condition for race day with no signs of rain on the radar. The rail is in the B+2 position for the meeting, allowing for a fair day of racing, with every horse getting their chance. The opening event is set to get underway at 12:30pm HKT (3:30pm AEDT)
Jockey Club Sprint Tip: Lucky Sweynesse
Back-to-back defeats may leave punters wary of backing Lucky Sweynesse, but this looks like the ideal time to hop aboard the world’s highest-rated sprinter. He was beaten by a pimple in the Group 2 Premier Bowl (1200m) on October 22 and the 61kgs on his back may have told the story. Back to set-weights here means he’s only giving 2kgs to the likes of Victor The Winer and Sight Success, and that simply won’t be enough to stop Lucky Sweynesse this time around.
Jockey Club Sprint
Race 7 – 
#1 Lucky Sweynesse (5)
5yo Gelding | T: Manfred Man | J: Zac Purton (58kg)
Jockey Club Mile Tip: Beauty Eternal
Beauty Eternal was a shade disappointing in the Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) on October 15, but we’re expecting a possible change of tactics with this son of Starspangledbanner to turn the tables on California Spangle. The John Size-trained galloper has had two testing barrier trials since that loss to get fitness in his legs, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Zac Purton take luck out of the equation and lead on Sunday. California Spangle may try to hold him out, and if he does, Beauty Eternal might even find leaders back for the duration.
Jockey Club Mile
Race 8 – 
#5 Beauty Eternal (5)
5yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (56kg)
Jockey Club Cup: Straight Arron
Straight Arron is building nicely into his five-year-old campaign and looks set to peak in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m). The son of Fastnet Rock relishes getting over a trip and you only need to look back to last season in Hong Kong as he went on to score in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) in May. We could be hoping aboard this progressive stayer a start too early in the preparation, but we’re willing to take the risk for Sunday’s Group 2 contest.
Jockey Club Cup
Race 9 – 
#6 Straight Arron (6)
5yo Gelding | T: Caspar Fownes | J: Vincent Ho (56kg)
Best Bet at Sha Tin: Raging Blizzard
Raging Blizzard only had one start last season for the John Size barn and was narrowly defeated at this course and distance by a gallant Sweet Briar. The son of Per Incanto looked to be trucking into the race under his own steam, but perhaps faded due to a lack of race-day fitness. They’ve put him away for 19 weeks sent him to the trials, where the four-year-old looks to be revelling in his work. Raging Blizzard looks like a progressive type, and with Zac Purton electing to stick on resumption, we’re happy to put him on top.
Jockey C
Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#4 Raging Blizzard (11)
4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (59kg)
Next Best at Sha Tin: Champion Dragon
Champion Dragon is third-up into the preparation and finds the ideal setup for victory on Sunday. He’s been defeated a combine 2.1 lengths across his first two starts, with his latest a bold effort in the Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1800m) as he attempted to make every post a winner under Matthew Poon. We expect something similar in this event, but with much less depth to this field, Alexis Badel should be able to allow Champion Dragon to stride forward and take a power of beating.
Next Best
Race 2 – 
#4 Champion Dragon (1)
6yo Gelding | T: Tony Cruz | J: Alexis Badel (57.5kg)
Sunday quaddie tips for Sha Tin races
Sha Tin quadrella selections
Sunday, November 19, 2023
- 1-5
- 4-5-6-7-8
- 2-4-6-7-8-10
- 1-2-3-4-5