It's Mike De Kock this time with SHEA SHEA, a regular Grade 1 winner in South Africa who badly needed his opening run here in January and showed the benefit with an impressive victory over Sole Power on Super Saturday when several of these were behind. It's difficult to see any of them reversing the form, though Spirit Quartz ran well for a long way and will have come on for the outing. Hong Kong has a brilliant record with sprinters and Eagle Regiment and Joy And Fun are very closely matched on the balance of their form. The latter won this when it was over an extra furlong in 2010 and finished a close third a year ago. Wesley Ward is very well known for handling top sprinters, though Great Attack's overall form looks just short of this level and he was behind Varsity at Gulfstream last month. Dux Scholar has more to offer and Mr Big could reward each-way backers as he is a very smart sprinter in Singapore and his form at Grade 1 level puts him firmly in the picture.
Eagle Regiment (AUS) (9-0) won at Sha Tin(HK) 5f stk gd in Jan beating Frederick Engels (9-0) by 1 1/2l, 14 ran.
Monsieur Joe (IRE) 9-1 (9-4) 8th of 16, 5l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Ganas (IRE) 16-1 (9-0) 5th of 10, 6l behind Reynaldothewizard (9-0) at Meydan(UAE) 6f Group 3 stks (3yo+) (1).
Dux Scholar 7-1 (9-6) won at Meydan(UAE) 5f hcp gd in Feb beating Russian Soul (8-13) by 1 1/4l, 13 ran.
Spirit Quartz (IRE) 7-1 (9-4) 5th of 16, 4l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Varsity (USA) 19-10 (8-7) Rail, prevailed, won at Gulfstream(USA) 5f Arab gd in Feb beating Something Extra (8-9) by 1 1/4l, 6 ran.
Shea Shea (SAF) 10-3fav (9-4) won at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd beating Sole Power (9-4) by 2 1/2l, 16 ran.
Russian Rock (IRE) 16-1 (9-4) 4th of 16, 4l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Russian Soul (IRE) 12-1 (9-4) 3rd of 16, 3 1/2l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Starspangledbanner (AUS) 14-1 (9-0) Angled in hill,wkened, 10th of 16, 8l behind Mizdirection (8-11) at Santa Anita(USA) 6f Grp 1 (1) gd in Nov.
Joy And Fun (NZ) (9-0) 8th of 9, 5l behind Lucky Nine (9-0) at Sha Tin(HK) 6f stk gd in Feb.
Invincible Ash (IRE) 9-1 (9-0) 11th of 16, 6l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Great Attack (USA) 16-10fav (8-9) No late response, 3rd of 6, 2 1/2l behind Varsity (8-7) at Gulfstream(USA) 5f Arab gd in Feb.
Medicean Man 10-1 (9-4) 6th of 16, 5l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Sole Power 7-2 (9-4) 2nd of 16, 2 1/2l behind Shea Shea (9-4) at Meydan(UAE) 5f Listed stks (1) gd.
Mr Big (AUS) (9-1) won at Panama(PAN) 6f Grp 3 in Dec, 0 ran.
