Mr Incredible ready for jump in class at Sha Tin
Brett Crawford’s promising three-year-old Mr Incredible will aim to make it three wins from four starts when he steps out in Class 3 company for the first time at Sha Tin on Saturday.
Jockey Karis Teetan, who has been aboard for all three of the Toronado gelding’s starts to date, believes there’s considerable improvement to come from the classy bay. He ventured to Conghua this month to ride Mr Incredible in a dazzling barrier trial, the Australian-bred clocking 57.41s over 1000m as he powered through the line four-and-three-quarter lengths clear of the field.
“I went up to Conghua, and I sat on him, and I must say, he’s come on,” Teetan said. “Because he didn’t race for a while, it was just sort of letting him relax and let him stretch his legs until the last 300 metres, and he did that. He’s pulled up good, and he’s come on from it.”
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Mr Incredible (126lb) contests the Class 3 Shek Sheung River Handicap (1200m), aiming to cap an impressive debut season in which his rating rose 18 points to a current mark of 70, narrowly short of a mark that would have seen him gain entry to this year’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series. Teetan believes the leading prospect in Crawford’s yard is showing the early hallmarks of a 2026/27 Classic Series contender.
“I definitely believe he’s a next-season horse,” Teetan said. “Actually, when he goes up in trip, he might be even better. But so far, we are happy with the way he’s going, and I think he’s going well at the moment. It’s going to be interesting to see how he goes up in Class.”
Another horse aiming to prolong a hot streak on Saturday is Pierre Ng-trained Aeroinvincible, the mount of Andrea Atzeni, who has been aboard for four of his five career wins. Three of those successes have come during a series of fine performances from the five-year-old since February, and he will be aiming to extend that run in the Class 3 Tan Shan River Handicap (1400m).
Atzeni said the son of Per Incanto, who will shoulder 133lb in Saturday’s outing, defied his expectations by scoring in Class 3 company last time out and is confident he can kick on.
“He’s been running well pretty much all season,” Atzeni said. “It just took a bit of time for him to come right.
“He’s obviously won a couple of times in Class 4, and he knocked on doors in Class 3 and looked like he wasn’t quite up to it, but he showed last time that he’s certainly at that level.
“Obviously, the handicapper has put him up again – he’s carrying near enough top weight – but he’s a big horse and the top weight shouldn’t be an issue.”
Atzeni reunites with David Eustace’s Colourful King (125lb) in the Class 1 The Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup Handicap (1000m) and hopes the four-year-old can recapture his early season form over his pet distance after a disappointing effort last time out.
“He’s had a freshen-up since his last run out at Happy Valley – he definitely ran below form there,” Atzeni said.
“He was drawn wide, and he obviously got further back than we wanted. But he didn’t hit the line like he can do. So, he definitely wasn’t himself.
“(Now he’s) back to 1000 metres, where he had some really good form winning earlier in the season.
“He needs luck in running because he’s not a horse who can bang them up himself – he hasn’t got that speed. If the pace is on, which it should be, hopefully we finish off strongly.”
Hong Kong racing will continue at Sha Tin on Saturday, June 27.
