Australia: Ararat Cup comes down to Orleans Rock vs. Seewhatyouthink
The Ararat Cup in Australia on Sunday may be a showdown between recent cup race winners Orleans Rock and Seewhatyouthink.
Steve AndersenNov 05, 2021
The Ararat Cup in Australia on Sunday may be a showdown between recent cup race winners Orleans Rock and Seewhatyouthink.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Sha Tin.
Before they teamed to win Tuesday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup with Verry Elleegant, top Australian jockey James McDonald and leading trainer Chris Waller won the $11.05 million Everest Stakes for sprinters with Nature Strip last month at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. Verry Ellegant recorded a 15-1 upset. There will be no hefty price at all when Nature Strip starts in Saturday’s Group 1 Darley Sprint Classic at six furlongs at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
Mister Smartee won the Kempsey Cup at 7 3/4 furlongs at tiny Kempsey Racecourse last November and is back in the same race this Friday. Mister Smartee is one of 12 runners in the Kempsey Cup, and will carry 123 pounds, getting a big concession from topweights Think Free and Prima Stella.
Verry Elleegant’s 10th Group 1 win made Australia’s Horse of the Year even more of a household name. Tuesday at Flemington Racecourse, Verry Elleegant won the $5.82 million Melbourne Cup, the nation’s most famous race, with a commanding four-length victory over Incentivise, the 3-2 favorite who had won his last nine starts.
Less than a month ago, Willowy was a maiden in Australia. Thursday, she starts as the second choice in her Group 1 debut in the $751,700 Kennedy Oaks at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
Hong Kong Selections for Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at Happy Valley.
Leading Hong Kong trainers Caspar Fownes and John Size have runners in the featured fifth race Wednesday a Happy Valley, a good Class 2 handicap over 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) open to horses rated 100-80.
A significant weight break and the benefit of a recent start may help the 7-year-old gelding Skelm end a four-race losing streak in Wednesday’s $94,000 Kyneton Cup at Kyneton Cup Racecourse in Australia.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at Happy Valley.