4 hours Ago By Jack Dawling
Matthew Poon Ming-fai is confident Green N White will relish the step up to a mile when the progressive five-year-old hunts a hat-trick in Sunday’s Class Two Chevalier Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin. The Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained gelding blew apart strong fields on his past two starts over 1,400m and bids to continue his rise through the ranks over the Sha Tin 1,600m. Aided by another advantageous draw in gate four, Poon is hopeful Green N White can carry 120 pounds to glory.
“Last start over 1,400m he finished off really well, but he couldn’t travel comfortably and I think 1,600m will suit him even better,” Poon said. First-up since March, Smart Missile gelding Green N White wins easily in the Sha Tin finale for @HugeBowman and Ricky Yiu! 👌 #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.
com/lMei5KjMxA “The race is pretty open and there are a couple of strong horses in the field, so I think it will be a good, competitive race. “I think he has a lot of ability and I believe he can finish off well again. Let’s see on Sunday.
” After he collected three wins from his first 10 starts, Green N White suffered an injury to his right fore fetlock in April and was out of action for the rest of the season. His intended reappearance in September was interrupted at the eleventh hour, with the son of Smart Missile picking up a tongue wound in his stable. Despite a lengthy period off the track, Green N White was honed to razor-sharpness by Yiu when he returned in October, surging clear of his rivals to register a one-and-three-quarter-length win.
It was a similar story three weeks later, where a powerful late burst under Poon saw him overhaul Packing Hermod and Drombeg Banner in the late stages. On Sunday, Green N White rises seven pounds on his last-start success in the Panasonic Cup and faces another hot field, which includes last-start winner Voyage Samurai and the Caspar Fownes-trained Karma. An impressive winner over a mile on his penultimate outing under Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, Karma steps into calmer waters after failing to land a blow in the Group Three Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1,800m) last time out.
Ho reunites with the six-year-old and hopes his mount can overcome the challenge of negotiating gate 13. “The draw is not the most ideal, but it is what it is and let’s see how the race pans out,” Ho said. “He’s a decent horse and back to a mile, he will perform.
He needs time to be more mature, mentally. He still doesn’t know what his limit is, he keeps improving.” Karma has collected five wins from 16 starts with Ho in the saddle for four.
With his customary powerful run from the rear of the field in the closing stages, Karma and Ho will look to topple their rivals late in the piece. “He always comes from the back, but it’s not really necessary to be too far back. Let’s see how the speed is in the race,” Ho said.
The Chevalier Cup field of 14 also includes the ever-consistent Patch Of Theta, Sunlight Power and John Size’s lightly-raced four-year-old, Young Champion..
