A one-mile race at Bendigo Racecourse in Australia is run around one turn on a left-handed track, a layout familiar to American racing fans. The long run to the turn in such a race could help Analytica, who starts from post 11 in a field of 12 in a handicap at that distance on Sunday.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong selections and analysis for Sunday, May 3, 2020 at Sha Tin.
Sharp recent form, a reasonable weight, and proven ability over a distance unusually long by Hong Kong racing standards make Helene Leadingstar a likely winner of the Group 3, $403,137 Queen Mother Memorial Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin.
The Wagga Wagga Gold Cup, which drew a maximum field of 16, is a listed stakes and will be the first start for Best of Days in a non-group level stakes since a second in a handicap at Caulfield in September 2018. Best of Days has won 5 of 27 starts, including the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket, England, in 2016, but is winless in his last 13 starts.
Imagine an American 2-year-old filly winning a Grade 2 sprint in September or October and then facing older fillies and mares in a Grade 1 race a few weeks later. While that seems impossible, the scenario will take place in Australia on Saturday when Away Game starts in the Group 1 TAB Classic for fillies and mares at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.
Earlier in his career, Fell Swoop was a four-time stakes winner good enough to place in Group 1 sprints in Australia. The 8-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding had a rough 2019, going winless in four starts, and has not had much success of late.Trainer Matthew Dale has selected an easier race for Fell Swoop in Thursday’s $103,840 Wagga Town Plate at six furlongs at Wagga Racecourse.
With trainer John Moore in the waning weeks of his long Hong Kong career, it's uncertain what the future – both the rest of this racing season and the 2020-21 Hong Kong season – hold for two of his best-known charges, Beauty Generation and Aethero.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong selections and analysis for Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at Happy Valley.
Harpo Marx has a serious chance to record his first career win in Australia in Wednesday’s Sky Racing Active Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney.
Proven at seven furlongs in recent starts, Airfree will start at a mile for the first time since early 2019 in a handicap Tuesday at Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia.
