from RACING POST HKIf ever a horse was born with the tools to compete at Happy Valley it was Romantic City, and the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained four-year-old gets to make his debut there a winning one in the St Andrew's Challenge Quaich (1,200m) tonight. The four-year-old might be the quickest horse in Hong Kong over the first 100m of a race, with his brilliant reaction to the gates opening giving him a big advantage at the tight Valley track - all the more so this time as racing will be on the

from RACING POST HK

If ever a horse was born with the tools to compete at Happy Valley it was Romantic City, and the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained four-year-old gets to make his debut there a winning one in the St Andrew's Challenge Quaich (1,200m) tonight. The four-year-old might be the quickest horse in Hong Kong over the first 100m of a race, with his brilliant reaction to the gates opening giving him a big advantage at the tight Valley track - all the more so this time as racing will be on the C+3 course. While there are some other fast horses engaged like First In Command (Darren Beadman), Supreme Fay Fay (Vincent Ho Chak-yiu) and Eternal Beauty (Jeff Lloyd), gate one and exceptional early speed should ensure Romantic City (Zac Purton) cruises around the Football Club turn in the lead and dictating the terms of the race.

The gelding has won two of his four starts at Sha Tin over 1,200m, and comes off a solid effort last time when third to two other promising young horses in Captain Sweet and Flying Blue.

But whatever he can do at Sha Tin, it seems reasonable the tight turning city course is going to be even more suitable.

Obviously, the worst part of Romantic City's races has been the final 100m, so the key is how much pressure any other runner is willing to put on him in the lead. Any runner which tries to work him along during that first 600m is almost certainly going to pay for that at the finish, just as much as Romantic City will pay for it and set the race up for someone else.

The runner who is best placed to take advantage of that scenario is Showtime (Douglas Whyte), and the John Size-trained five-year-old appears to be the main danger.

The winner of three in a row at the end of last season, Showtime has been at his best over the final part of his races, so he will be the form horse hitting the line if others are sitting down in front of him.

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