Andrew Hawkins with top Placepot advice for Saturday's card at Sha Tin

The Sha Tin Placepot on Saturday looks an intriguing sequence and one in which it is wise to play wide early before narrowing later in the card.

The Placepot hinges on Farhh Above, who strikes a suitable Class 3 to close the card (10.45).

The 2018 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale graduate, who hails from the family of Racing Post Trophy winner Commander Collins and Derby placegetter Colonel Collins, was touted as a potential late Hong Kong Derby aspirant after a last-to-first win in January and a luckless fourth in February.

However, things went badly wrong on his next start and he missed the feature.

He looks desperate for more ground than the 7f he tackles here, but the Farhh gelding finds a very even mixed-grade Class 3 and he looks a lock to finish in the placings.

In the day's feature, the 10.10, 2018 Derby fifth Hazapour makes his first Hong Kong appearance. The former Dermot Weld trainee is now named Amazing One Plus and everything he has shown since his arrival suggests that he will need more time to acclimatise.

However, another former Irish galloper looks to hold the key in the form of Decrypt. Last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas third has consistently run well in Hong Kong without winning, with his only two disappointing efforts coming in the first two legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

He has a middle draw, but it is a better barrier than he has had in recent starts and Zac Purton has really found his rhythm in recent meetings.

He looks poised to break through here, but if there is one other to include it is his likely market rival, the former Australian Beauty Legacy.

He has plenty of quirks and trainer John Size is clearly still figuring him out. However, his last run was promising and he should be able to step forward off that.

TOTE PLACEPOT

Race 5 (leg 1): 4, 9, 11
Race 6 (leg 2): 2, 7
Race 7 (leg 3): 1, 2
Race 8 (leg 4): 3, 7, 9
Race 9 (leg 5): 1, 4
Race 10 (leg 6): 10

Sha Tin card

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