HKJC
New Zealand bred Little Giant will line up at Sha Tin on Saturday in the Class 2 Hakka Culture Handicap (1200m) on the all-weather track.
The well-regarded son of Swiss Ace was unbeaten in two outings pre-import, has notched a win and a third from two Hong Kong starts to date. The David Hall-trained five-year-old is first-up for the season.
“His preparation’s been good, he’s continued to work well and his barrier trial was good so it’s good to have him back at the races,” jockey Zac Purton said.
The bay has not raced on Sha Tin’s dirt surface. “When you get into Class 2 there aren’t too many options so unfortunately we’ve had to run in this race. He’s trialled well on the dirt,” Purton added.
Schofield will ride Dragon Master, a son of Darci Brahma, in the 12-runner contest.
Michael Chang’s charge has four wins to his name, all down the straight 1000m track. But the useful five-year-old has posted a couple of decent efforts on the all-weather, including when a running-on third behind the re-opposing Dragon General at the course and distance last month.
“I think he’s a good chance in an open race,” Schofield said. “I thought his last run was full of merit, he closed well and now he goes up in class with a lighter weight. He’s proven he likes the dirt - there are a number of decent horses in the race but he’s going well, I rode him in the week and he feels great in his action so he’s going to get his chance.” -HKJC