Karis Teetan returns from suspension at Sha Tin on Sunday and he has a full book of rides at his disposal as he looks to get back in the groove.
Teetan completed a two-meeting ban after being found guilty of careless riding aboard Sight Success in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase last month and will be hoping for a few winners to help pay off the HK$90,000 fine that came with the suspension.
The Mauritian rider is one of only three jockeys – the others are, of course, Joao Moreira and Zac Purton – to have rides in every race at the weekend with Berlin Tango his mount in the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m).
Teetan knows the five-year-old well having ridden him on five occasions this season, including for a win on his penultimate start over 1,650m on dirt, and the galloper drops back to 1,800m after finishing in midfield over 2,000m last time.
The Tony Cruz-trained runner receives plenty of weight from seasoned Group campaigners but will need a career-best to salute.
Teetan also appears to have his work cut out in the other Group Three race on the Sha Tin card, the Premier Cup (1,400m). Healthy Happy is the rider’s partner but he has been badly out of form since winning the Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) on his seasonal reappearance in January.
Since then, Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s runner has finished in front of just five horses in his past six starts and he was beaten by over 15 lengths and then nearly four lengths in his past two runs.
Healthy Happy’s front-running style means he is always there to be shot at in the home straight but he has faded tamely of late and it will take a leap of faith for punters to part with their hard-earned on cash on him.
It looks unlikely that Teetan will be celebrating a victory in the two biggest races this weekend, but elsewhere on the card he appears to have far better chances of success.
Amazing Victory takes his chance in the Class Four Lapis Lazuli Handicap (1,400m) and the three-year-old has been working towards a win under Teetan, who has partnered him in his past five starts.
Runner-up to Massive Action and Wide Blue Yonder in his past two starts, his winning turn is surely not far away and – while he could have his work cut out from stall 11 – his trainer Peter Ho Leung is in good form with two winners at the past three meetings.
Whyte looking to match last season’s haul with more Group success at Sha Tin
Teetan jumps aboard Mr Ascendency for the first time in the Class Three Sapphire Handicap (1,400m). Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s galloper was well beaten in the final two legs of the four-year-old series but put in a much better effort when third in this class in his last start.
He drops back to this trip for the first time since his debut and wears cheekpieces for the first time, which could bring about some improvement.
Teetan also gets the ride on Yiu’s interesting newcomer Lucky Eight in the first section of the Class Four Spessartine Garnet Handicap (1,200m). He finished second to Galaxy Witness in his penultimate trial before winning his latest one in style.