Celebrate CNY 2020 with Mr Rockwell
Champion rookie Simon Kok should score on the best bet of the day
What are the odds on Simon WH Kok celebrating a really good Chinese New Year meeting on Sunday by taking the first four races on the card?
Astronomical, I should think - even though he seems to have got the pick of the crop in those four races.
There's My Boss in Race 1, Siam Royal Orchid in the second, Mr Rockwell in the next and Chalaza in the fourth.
But, while Kok is a good rider, it could be a stretch to believe the reigning top apprentice can make such an early impact.
That said, you can bet that in all those races, the young hoop will sweat the silks and be right up there battling for the prize like there is no tomorrow.
He has the talent. He has the strength and I reckon he has a great chance in Race 3, where he teams up with Mr Rockwell in that race over the mile.
Yes, on the day when pockets are flushed with contents from those "red packets", I'm going to make Mr Rockwell my best bet of the day.
I like the fact that the man in the saddle is on a hot streak and, same too, the horse.
Mr Rockwell is in the pink of condition. He broke through for his first win in November and his last two runs saw him putting in good work late to take second spot.
In particular, I thought that defeat by Ming's Man a fortnight ago was unfortunate and terribly frustrating for jockey John Powell, trainer Lee Freedman and Oscar Racing Stable.
The winner, Ming's Man, had stolen the race with a breakaway and those catch-me-if-you-can tactics paid off handsomely. Powell did everything short of carrying his mount across the line - but it still wasn't enough.
Mr Rockwell, the $14 favourite, went down by a neck.
CK Phua of Oscar Racing Stable has been in the game for a long time. He knows that horse racing isn't rocket science or quantum physics. It's an affair of the heart.
You win some, you lose some. And you take the good with the bad.
But this is no ordinary meeting. It's the Chinese New Year meeting and nothing is more auspicious.
Indeed, and to the horseman out there - owner and punter alike - there's nothing more important than starting the year with a winner on this day.
It could spell good fortune in the Year of the Rat.
Oscar Racing Stable would love to win a race on this important day and, with Kok getting on Mr Rockwell, you can bet there will be no economy in effort and all things should come together.
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