Back in Class Four for the first time since winning there last season and with the help of in-form apprentice Dicky Lui Cheuk-yin's claim,Fortune Bravo looms as the best banker in the opening leg of Wednesday night's Triple Trio at Happy Valley, reports the HK Racing Post.
Fortune Bravo won over this course and distance in January - one of three victories over the extended mile last term. He found the Class Three competition too hot, but was by no means disgraced. He drops down to a rating of 60, and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai using Lui's seven-pound allowance takes the edge of the 133-pound allotted as top weight.
After beating Alvin Ng Ka-chun for the champion apprentice title last term, Lui returned at Sunday's season-opening meeting with a double and will be riding with confidence on his return to the city track.
From gate four, Lui should sit outside likely leader Little Rainforest (Douglas Whyte), who can't be left out. The only concern for that pair would be pressure from outside gates in the form of either Super Brand orTres Magnifique.
Zac Purton showed an affinity with eight-year-olds on Sunday - winning on Cerise Cherry and Fair Trade - and he combines with one veteran with far less ability, but a winning chance, Euro Swiftly, whose ratings has dropped from as high as 89 down to 55.
Others to throw in are Very Well (Derek Leung Ka-chun), who would benefit from some pressure up front, and Mobile King (Tye Angland), another likely to settle midfield or worse and then run on.
The second leg, a Class Four over 1,200m, looks like a minefield with plenty of chances and a barrier draw that has added an extra degree of difficulty.
Good Hong Kong has proven one of the most costly horses over the past two seasons, having been strongly supported in nearly every start without winning. Whyte has stuck solid with the five-year-old and surely his day will come soon - even with gate 11 it might pay to stick with him.
Go without a banker, play around with well-drawn pair Victory General (Purton) and China Power (Colm O'Donoghue), and also consider Time Winner (Ben So Tik-hung) and No Ties (Karis Teetan).
Punters still alive in the final leg will be chasing a decent pay-day, with a HK$10.5 million jackpot creating an estimated dividend of HK$18 million, and a low draw makes Seasons Star (Matthew Chadwick) the one to bank on in a highly competitive Class Three.
The Caspar Fownes-trained Braveness (Purton) looks the best horse in this race, but barrier 12 makes him more vunerable than Seasons Star, who is a winner over the course and distance and jumps from two.