Lor pins hopes on Master Eight, Latest Racing News - The New Paper
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Lor pins hopes on Master Eight

HONG KONG • Bidding to tighten his grip on the trainers’ championship, Frankie Lor is hopeful Master Eight can cope with a hefty weight and quality opposition to lay the foundations for an ambitious 2022/23 campaign with a win in today’s Class 1 25th Anniversary Hong Kong Reunification Cup Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

Leading John Size 87-80 with five meetings left, Lor is optimistic Master Eight – winner of his first five starts – can return to the winners’ list after three successive defeats and prove worthy of more Group race tilts next season.

“I think he can still improve, this horse,” said Lor, referencing the gelding’s last-start third to Wellington in the Group 2 Sprint Cup (1,200m) on April 3 at Sha Tin. 

“For me, next season should be much better for the horse. I’ll try to put him in some big sprint races and we will have a look after Friday.”

To start from Gate 6 under 135lb (61.3kg) for Joao Moreira, Master Eight will square off 10 rivals, including Lucky Express (135lb), Nervous Witness (130lb), Duke Wai (129lb) and the emerging Campione (125lb).

Lor will also be represented by last-start winner Winning Dreamer (124lb), who again teams with Vincent Ho, who has ridden the gelding in all seven of his wins. - HKJC

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