The last time Sir Kerm raced he flew through the final furlong of a handicap at 4 1/2 furlongs to finish second at Newcastle Racecourse in Australia last October. The abbreviated sprint was too short for Sir Kerm to display his best. A six-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange on Monday evening is a more suitable distance for the 4-year-old gelding’s first start of 2023.
Longer sprints and a race at 1 1/16 miles have changed the career of He’s a Copy Boy, a leading contender in a one-mile handicap at Taree Racecourse in Australia on Sunday evening.
Hong Kong Selections for Sunday, May 21, 2023, at Sha Tin.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Sunday, May 21, 2023, at Sha Tin.
The Australian 3-year-old filly Queen Assassin will face a class test in a six-furlong handicap at Sunshine Coast Racecourse, north of Brisbane on Saturday evening.
Regarding the current 3-year-old fillies in Japan, there is Liberty Island and the rest. Liberty Island was the unanimous choice for champion 2-year-old filly of 2022 and began her current season with a win in the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas at a mile at Hanshin Racecourse in April. She will be a strong favorite to win for the fourth time in her fifth start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse.
The multiple stakes winner Zaaki is on a familiar path through Australia’s leading races for older horses this month.
Introvert may be a favorite to oppose in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Port Macquarie Racecourse in Australia on Thursday evening.
In his 30-race career in Australia, Reliable Dude has raced at distances ranging from six furlongs in his debut in 2020 to 1 1/4 miles in more recent starts. Reliable Dude is back at Hawkesbury for the longest race of his career at 1 5/16 miles on Wednesday evening.
A first start at a mile may lead to a second career win for Lyrical Gangster in a one-mile handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday evening.
