The late kick that has been a common style for the 4-year-old gelding Nearly Fine finally carried him to a win for the first time in his 12th start in Hong Kong in a race at about a mile at Happy Valley Racecourse on April 13. What worked at a mile will be tried at the new distance of 1 1/8 miles when the Australian-bred starts in a Class 3 handicap at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
There are remarkable similarities in the career trajectory of the geldings Mach Schnell and Sindacato, who meet for the first time in a one-mile handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse outside of Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at Happy Valley.
Danon Scorpion overcame an outside post in a field of 18 to win Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
The Kentucky-bred gelding French War had an attractive career debut in Australia last September, winning a maiden race at a mile. Three starts later, French War has yet to record a second win, but has performed well enough of late to indicate such an achievement is imminent.
Talladega Knight returned from a four-month layoff to finish third in a seven-furlong handicap at Nowra Racecourse in Australia on April 26. He seems to have bounced out of the race in fine condition. Less than two weeks later, Talladega Knight is back in a one-mile handicap at Taree Racecourse on Monday.
A half-length loss in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes last December kept Serifos from claiming the title as Japan’s champion 2-year-old male of 2021. Nearly five months later, Serifos will have his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse.
Three races into his 2022 season in Australia, the 4-year-old gelding Namakwa is back at marathon distances he clearly prefers. Namakwa won for the first time this year in the Stawell Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Stawell Racecourse on April 17 and starts at the same distance in a turf handicap at Ballarat Racecourse on Sunday.
Overmatched in Hong Kong’s lucrative series for 4-year-olds earlier this year, Ima Single Man is better suited to sprints, such as a seven-furlong Class 2 handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse on Saturday. All he needs now is a clean trip.
September Run is a slight favorite to garner her third Group 1 victory in Saturday’s $356,095 Robert Sangster Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.
