Jamie Richards is responsible for two of Sunday’s three newcomers to the Hong Kong racing scene, with the Kiwi trainer introducing Chilean Group One winner Alacrity and Australian import Laser Victory, unfortunately from unfavourable Sha Tin barriers.

Karis Teetan will pilot Alacrity from gate 13 of 14 in the card-closing Class Three Des Voeux Handicap (1,400m) against the likes of Hong Kong Derby hopeful Beauty Eternal, last-start victor Majestic Colour and Marado, whose Lunar New Year meeting flop stopped his winning sequence at three.

Zac Purton will steer Laser Victory from the outside of the 12 barriers from which the dozen Class Four Ko Shing Handicap (1,200m) runners will begin the fourth event on the 10-race programme.

Alacrity carries the colours of the Yue family’s Harmony Racing Syndicate, the members of which bought him following his superb victory in one of Chile’s 17 Group One contests, the Club Hipico de Santiago Falabella (2,000m), in May 2022. Then named Viejos Tiempos, he won by nearly three lengths to register his fourth consecutive success after each of his first six starts had ended in defeat.

“His form was ordinary before he was gelded. As soon as he was gelded, his form really turned the corner,” Richards said of Alacrity, who is by the same sire, Looking At Lucky, as 2021 Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) winner Panfield.

“He’s been bought as a, hopefully, progressive [private purchase]. We’ve got no mad ambitions at this stage. We’re getting to know him and seeing how he fits in. We’re happy with him. He seems to have acclimatised well. He seems to be handling the training well. He’s a nice athletic horse.

“Sunday is very much a starting point for him. We’re still learning about him. The distance is short of his best trip. It’s going to be interesting to see how he gets on. It’s not made easy by the difficult barrier. He’ll probably have to go back.”

Whereas Richards pretty much made up his mind about how he would like Teetan to ride Alacrity as soon as he viewed the Des Voeux Handicap runners and their respective gates, the New Zealander will wait until just before the Ko Shing Handicap before finalising Laser Victory’s tactics with Purton.

“He’s a nice horse. He’s shown nice ability in his trials. He’s a product of the David Price system,” Richards said of A$160,000 (HK$870,000) yearling buy Laser Victory, whose trial performances include a seven-length win under Purton on January 13.

“We’re expecting him to run well, but it’s not made easy by the bad barrier. Racing on the C+3 course makes it difficult – it makes it a shorter run to the first corner. I had a chat about that with Zac on Friday morning. No doubt he’ll do his homework and we’ll talk about it again on race day.”

Richards, who has celebrated 14 winners from 146 starters in his first Hong Kong season, saddles seven runners this weekend, but four of the Kiwi handler’s charges have double-digit gates.

“We’ve got chances, but we’ve been handed some bad barriers,” said Richards, whose team comprises his two newcomers plus To Infinity, Vukan, Commanding Missile, Charmander and Holy Power.

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“Holy Power is going well. Gate 13 makes it difficult for him, but he’s done nothing wrong since he arrived. He’s trained on well and he’s in a good patch of form, so hopefully he’ll run well again.”

“I know Vukan’s form is ordinary, but he’s drifted to a suitable mark. It’s about trying to get his confidence back a little bit.”