Southwell Preview: Kung Hei Fat Choy can enhance superb course record

Kung Hei Fat Choy relishes Southwell’s fibresand surface and looks the one they all have to beat in the 4.30, despite having to shoulder top weight.

James Givens’ charge has won three of his 10 starts at the track, with the last of those successes coming over today’s 7f trip on his penultimate outing where he stayed on strongly to beat Strong Man by 3/4 of a length.

The five-year-old was then far from disgraced when dropped back down to 6f and finishing a close-up third to King Bertie on his latest start, again at this track.

That trip is short of his best, and the step back up to 7f should enable him to overcome a 2lb rise in the weights.

The son of Elusive Quality has notched three of his five career successes over 7f, and is now also reunited with Graham Lee who has partnered him to four of those wins.

Kung Hei Fat Choy has also won off his current mark of 78 in the past, and he looks capable of giving weight all-round.

In the seller at 3.25, course specialist Abi Scarlet looks sure to take all the beating now dropped in class.

Trained by Hughie Morrison, the mare has won five of her six starts at the venue over today’s 6f trip. The last of those successes came in a class 4 handicap, and the five-year-old now takes a marked drop in grade into class 6 selling company.

It looks a golden opportunity for the daughter of Baltic King to get back to winning ways, and it will be disappointing if she does not take it.
Mark Johnston does well with his runners at the track, boasting a strike rate of just over 21.5% over the past 12 months.

The Middleham-based trainer does particularly well with particularly well with lightly raced types over staying distances, and that makes Travel of interest in the finale at 5.35.

This filly has improvced since being stepped up to 1m 6f, winning two of her last three starts at Wolverhampton. The daughter of Street Cry scored with more in hand than the head margin suggests in the latest of those successes 12 days ago, and looks capable of defying a 5lb rise in the weights.