The Dream Team of John Size and Douglas Whyte has all but vanished from the landscape this season but the leading trainer and jockey combine with Sichuan Vigour in the Albatross Handicap (1,000m) tonight at Sha Tin with great prospects of an upset, reports Racing Post in HK.
Whyte has ridden only two winners for Size this term and less than 20 per cent of his mounts have been for the yard, but he gets down in the weights to ride Sichuan Vigour as the four-year-old drops back to a more suitable trip down the straight.
When he raced as Crystal Web in Melbourne, Sichuan Vigour was tried up to 1,600m but his best form was in short races and his wins at 1,000m and 1,100m.
In addition, he was tried in straight races only twice for a win and a second.
The gelding hasn't had things to suit in his two local runs to date - he was never out of trouble in his debut behind Tour de Force, then overraced second-up in what was a stop-start type of race won by Smart Volatility and was unable to finish off when produced. That racing has him fitter for his assignment tonight, coming back in distance to a race which sets up for a horse like him, just off what looks a highly competitive lead pace.
Dane Patrol (Dicky Lui Cheuk-yin) is a one-trick pony who will spear out looking for the lead but he may find keen-going Amber Sky (Joao Moreira) and Beauty Sparkle (Matthew Chadwick) ready and willing to engage.
Beauty Sparkle has been very determined lately here and at Happy Valley after not getting much peace on the lead, holding on for a win and second, and he shows plenty of application in a finish and has to be the main danger, but it is a race of chances.