THE LION KING

On June 26th (dirt trial 1200m: 3-3-2), pushed hard with two hundred whips and finished second. Six weeks ago, this horse performed poorly over a Happy Valley 1200m, slow out of the gate and settling towards the rear with an even pace but failing to make any headway and finishing well beaten. One barrier trial showed slight improvement. Switching to Happy Valley mile for its first attempt at this distance, the horse will benefit from a five-pound weight reduction, however, the step up in trip is questionable and it has drawn poorly. The trainer/jockey combination isn’t ideal, although the recent jockey change to Ellis Wong may be beneficial as he understands the horse's temperament well; consider this run a trial only.