It won't be stunning if Mr. Stunning doesn't win the Hong Kong Sprint, but it will be surprising. Mr. Stunning was a good sprinter here in Hong Kong last season, but has come forward to be better than good this season. The terrible trip Lucky Bubbles suffered last month in the Jockey Club Sprint, the HK Sprint prep, probably inflated Mr. Stunning's win margin in the race, but as it was, Mr. Stunning won by 1 1/2 lengths, a considerable margin for a 1200-meter race at Sha Tin.

Mr. Stunning has a good draw in post 3 and decent tactical pace to work out a trip. He has an amusing head-nodding action when he really gets into high gear - but however Mr. Stunning is going about his business, it's working, and he might not yet have hit his ceiling.

As for Lucky Bubbles, he is more fully exposed than Mr. Stunning, and landing post 1 at the draw probably did him no favors. The same could be said for the lone American runner on the card, Stormy Liberal, who has post 11 in addition to the daunting task of taking on sharp Hong Kong sprinters on their home turf.

As for betting, the race is a pass for me. Sure, it's a sprint with a big field, so chaos could prevail, but lacking a strong opinion beyond the heavy favorite. a play would be a reach.