HONG KONG on Saturday: Leader's ready

Punters who piled into Winning Leader last weekend might want to double up to recoup their losses on the Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained gelding in the Li Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin today.

Winning Leader (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) was a well-backed second favourite in the 1,400m race won by Secret Sham and finished a weakening seventh after racing too close to a strong lead pace.

With on-pace horses looking advantaged on the day, connections sent the four-year-old forward early to be with the leaders in the last race of the afternoon, but it was a case of falling for the three-card trick.

They weren't the only ones with the idea that on-pace was a plus and the competitive group looking for the front sizzled along through the first 600m, including a quick second section in under 21.8 seconds.

That set the race up for the run-ons, regardless of any perceived bias, with Secret Sham beating Destined For Glory, Longwah Supreme and Ka Ying Kid - the last four horses to turn into the straight.

That was proof enough that the leaders had gone too fast, with Winning Leader doing by far the best of the front runners and, with more patient tactics, he can turn that form around.

The Li Cup has been robbed of a lot of interest with the scratchings of Sea Diamond and Sea Dragon but there still has to be a winner and it sets up beautifully for Winning Leader, whose best performances have been when sat behind the pace.

With ready-made leaders in Real Supreme, Business As Usual and Blazing Speed, Cheng can use Winning Leader's tactical speed more sensibly from barrier two, relax behind them to the home turn, then find the line strongly when it counts.