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In a season marked by the emergence of brilliant young talent, Joao Moreira is confident Drops Of God can continue his advance through the grades with success in the Class 3 Lai On Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (6 June).
An emphatic two and a quarter length winner on debut on 23 May, Drops Of God shapes as yet another prodigious sprinter from John Size’s stable, which has already produced Courier Wonder and Fantastic Way this season.
Moreira, who leads Zac Purton 136-115 in the jockeys’ championship, describes the Mossman gelding as “another nice one, a very nice one.
Drops Of God showed tremendous pace on debut to have a Class 4 1200m contest at his mercy a long way out, clocking 1m 08.89s while hefting 127lb. On Sunday, rising in class, he will jump from gate 10 with 117lb – while Danny Shum’s Winner Method will lug 133lb for Purton.
If I need to, I’m happy to go back (from the barrier),” Moreira said. “He seems to be a versatile type of a horse and off a light weight, I guess he’s going to be able to be hitting the line very strong.
It is a strong race, he’s up in class but I think with light weight on his back, he’s going to appreciate that and we’re about to find out if he’s up the class. I think he is and I’m very excited to be sitting on his back on the weekend once again.
While Purton’s hopes of retaining the championship with a fifth jockeys’ crown are fading rapidly with only 11 meetings left, the Australian is upbeat about Tourbillon Diamond’s prospects in the Class 2 Chung On Handicap (1600m).
Matthew Poon is eager to add more momentum to his late-season surge after a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday (2 June) when he partners Tony Cruz’s Joyful Fortune in the Class 3 Kwong Tin Handicap (1000m).
Alfred Chan hopes Caspar Fownes’ decision to seek weight relief on The Hulk in the Class 3 Lee On Handicap (1400m) will prove decisive through the apprentice’s seven-pound claim.
Handicapped at 133lb, the Spirit Of Boom gelding is chasing a hat-trick of wins, having triumphed at his two most recent attempts under Karis Teetan with 118lb and 125lb, respectively.