Handsome ran out of ground when he closed from last in a field of 10 to finish fifth in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Australia on Jan. 28. That may not be a problem when Handsome starts in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Warwick Farm on Tuesday evening.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at Happy Valley.
With the benefit of a recent prep race, even if it was a ninth-place finish, the 5-year-old gelding Cuban Granchico is well placed to win for the third time in his career in a seven-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia on Monday evening.
Pinky has been an unlucky filly in her last two starts. She may be able to reverse her luck at Muswellbrook Racecourse on Sunday evening.
Needs Sugar is the lone stakes winner and one of nine fillies in a field of 12 in the $104,100 Gold Sovereign Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at six furlongs at Launceston Racecourse in Australia on Saturday evening.
Rose Quartz is winless in her last five starts, all listed and Group 3 races, but has been second or third in three of those races. Rose Quartz has been close enough at times to merit respect when she makes her second start of the year in the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Friday evening.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Sunday, February 5, 2023, at Sha Tin.
Algiers might have run the best race of his life winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 going 1,600 meters on Jan. 6 at Meydan Racecourse. We shall see if he can run back to that peak going 1,900 meters in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, the featured fifth race Friday at Meydan.
A much-needed drop in class and a return to a race at 1 1/2 miles can end an eight-race losing streak for Oz Legend in a handicap on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday evening.
A handicap at 1 5/8 miles at Gosford Racecourse in Australia on Jan. 25 was probably too far for Celestial Fury. The gelding faded from contention in the stretch to finish fifth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths. A handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Gosford on Wednesday evening should be a better distance.
