Hong Kong-based top-level horses were putting in final preparations this week for the three Group 1 races carded for Sunday at Sha Tin – the QE II Cup, the Champions Mile, and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
Trainer Caspar Fownes is the king of Happy Valley, and in Dancing Fighter, Fownes might have the right horse for the co-featured eighth race Wednesday at Happy Valley.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong selections and analysis for Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at Happy Valley.
It is something of a surprise that the New Zealand-bred gelding Shockingly has won two of his last three starts in Australia since late January.
Contrail began his 3-year-old season Sunday in the same manner he ended his 2019 campaign in Japan – winning a Grade 1 race to emphasize his positon as the leader of his generation.
The lightly raced gelding Lesham will face winners for the first time in a six-furlong handicap at Mornington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday.
King’s Legacy rallied from midfield to win his second consecutive Group 1 race in Saturday’s $252,800 Champagne Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Hong Kong selections for Sunday, April 19, 2020 at Sha Tin.
There were no photo finishes required in Contrail’s unbeaten season in 2019, which led to him being named Japan’s champion 2-year-old male. Contrail, a colt by top Japanese stallion Deep Impact, will start his 3-year-old season at Nakayama Racecourse on Sunday in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles, a race formally known as the Setsuki Sho.
Freeze’emoff will be back in familiar surroundings for Sunday’s $62,300 Geraldton Gold Cup at 1 5/16 miles against males. While she was sixth in the same race last year, and faces a tougher field than in recent starts, Freeze’emoff has a few factors in her favor Sunday.
