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Pierre Ng heads into Sunday’s (15 December) fixture at Sha Tin with a team of nine spread across eight of the 10 races, including Healthy Healthy (125lb) and I Give (126lb) – both engaged in a quality HK$2.84 million Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap (1000m).
Also in the feature dash is Fast Network (129lb), a three-time winner from four starts, who has hit the ground running in Hong Kong for trainer Dennis Yip and jockey Zac Purton, while Healthy Healthy will gun for a hat-trick of wins on debut in Class 2 this Sunday.
"He's in good form, but luckily we have a Class 2 with a rating band of 90 to 65. I didn't really want to run against Dennis Yip's horse (Fast Network), who is pretty promising, but he's (Healthy Healthy) done well this season with two wins in a week," Ng said.
Vincent Ho is two-for-two aboard Healthy Healthy and reunites with the 78-rater again. The Per Incanto gelding won his last two races across four days at Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
Leading the trainers' championship on 24 wins, Ng hopes I Give – a six-time winner over 1200m at Sha Tin – can contend strongly in the same race with jockey James McDonald up.
"It's not his (I Give) best distance but hopefully he can get some prize money for us," Ng said.
Bundle Of Charm (135lb), Fantastic Treasure (135lb), James Tak (131lb), Baby Crystal (125lb), Stellar Express (121lb), Carroll Street (119lb) and Turf Phoenix (117lb) complete the Lukfook Jewellery Cup field.
Ng saddles HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series hope Packing Turbine (120lb) in the Class 3 Lukfook Jewellery Dear Q Handicap (1600m) with Purton aboard for a second time after the duo finished sixth on debut over 1200m.
"He did well first-up. He just needs further ground and maybe even further than a mile later on, so we're looking for a promising run on the weekend," Ng said.
The Toronado gelding won pre-import at Sandown over 1400m under the name Yahoo Bar in Melbourne, Australia for trainer Liam Howley.
Four-Year-Old Classic Series possibles Cap Ferrat (135lb), Lupo Solitario (131lb), Mickley (131lb), Sky Trust (129lb), Silvery Breeze (125lb), Lo Pan Spirit (122lb), Stellar Swift (121lb), Toy Soltero (118lb) and Dilbagh (117lb) also feature in the 14-runner finale.
Four-timer runner-up Yoda's Choice tackles the Class 5 Lukfook Jewellery Wedding Collection Handicap (1400m) in a bid for a first win earlier on the card.
"He's been knocking on the door. He's still in Class 5. Zac Purton is on him this time –hopefully he gets there. He'll run again next Wednesday (18 December at Sha Tin)," Ng said.
Ng also fields Gangnam Star, Shiny Rapidash, Viva Chaleur, Motoman and Press Link this weekend. Reflecting on Sunday's (8 December) HK$126 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, the trainer is looking forward to 19 January's HK$13 million G1 Stewards' Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin for Galaxy Patch.
The star galloper – second in last season's HK$13 million G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) – finished an impeded seventh in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
"He pulled up well. We were very unlucky during that day, there was a lot of interference. It was just an unlucky spot to be in, so we're looking forward to the Stewards' Cup – we'll go for that," Ng said.
Ng is targeting the HK$4.2 million G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy Handicap (1000m) with Beauty Waves on 1 January at Sha Tin after the chestnut gelding finished a fast-closing sixth to Ka Ying Rising in the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
"He pulled up really well. He was very unlucky in the straight, we dropped him (back) and in the straight he couldn't find a way out. He finished quite well for sixth and should have been a lot closer, he'll go for the Group 3 over 1000 metres on New Year's Day," Ng said.
Sunday's (15 December) 10-race fixture at Sha Tin commences at 1pm with the Class 5 Lukfook Jewellery Hexicon Handicap (1400m).
