Hayes backs My Mars and Happy Promise for Sha Tin success

David Hayes has labelled three-year-olds My Mars and Happy Promise the best of his seven-strong squad at Sha Tin on Sunday as he bids to keep in touch with the trainers’ championship leading pack.

Six wins behind championship leader Danny Shum Chap-shing with 48 this term, Hayes is confident he can strike on Sunday with My Mars in the Class Three Standard Chartered Renminbi Business Handicap (1,200m) and Happy Promise in the second section of the Class Four Standard Chartered Sustainable Finance Handicap (1,400m).

Irish import My Mars looks poised to continue an encouraging start to his Hong Kong career after a strong win on his local debut and close second to Turquoise Velocity last start.

“I can’t see him running a bad race from barrier four,” Hayes said.

“He’s run into three really good Class Three races, but he’s done extremely well because at his age, if he was unraced, he could be in the Griffin races. So that’s a good effort and he’s held his form, so I can’t see him running a bad race.”

A dual placegetter pre-import when known as Unbreakable Duke, My Mars finished powerfully to score an upset first-up triumph at $29.9 before falling only a neck short of victory in his latest appearance.

He will again be ridden by Brenton Avdulla when he clashes with a pair of other promising three-year-olds, Elite Golf and Cool Boy, Star Rise and a quartet of local debutants, including Australian Group Three winner Titan Pegasus.

Trainer David Eustace believes Titan Pegasus, who won the Blue Diamond Prelude (1,100m) at Caulfield when known as Field Of Play, will need the run.

“He’s settled in well. He’s trials on the whole have been pretty good, but he’s certainly trialling like a horse who’s still quite inexperienced,” Eustace said.

“He hasn’t had much racing and he hasn’t run for a long time, so looking forward to running him but no doubt he’ll be in need of it.”

Happy Promise ran on solidly for fourth on debut behind dominant winner Mr Incredible last month and Hayes expects significant improvement second up.

“He wasn’t [too far off the second horse] and he gave the impression 1,400m will be better,” Hayes said.

“He’s got barrier four and James McDonald, so with natural improvement, he should be competitive.

“I expect him to be in a good position. He’s well schooled, well educated, his trial between runs was excellent so from that barrier, he should get a good run.”

Oriental Surprise, Mega Awesome, Best World, Let’s Have Fun and Akashvani are Hayes’ other Sha Tin runners.