The stakes winners Roaring Lion and Crossed Baton give trainer John Gosden the two leading choices in early betting for Thursday’s Group 2 Dante Stakes at York Racecourse in England, a key prep for the English Derby at Epsom Downs on June 2.
Hong Kong selections for Wednesday, May 16, 2018 - Happy Valley
Racing authorities around the world should collectively agree to unite behind principles of a “global brand” in order to protect the sport, speakers at the Asian Racing Conference said during presentations on Tuesday, the opening day of the international forum.
With 2017 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Enable sidelined until at least August because of a knee injury, her stablemate, Cracksman, will start in the Group 1 Coronation Cup on June 1 at Epsom. Aidan O'Brien revealed Monday that he is considering a Saratoga start for Mendelssohn.
Andrew Hawkins' Hong Kong selections and analysis for Wednesday, May 16, 2018 - Happy Valley
The 18-1 outsider Jour Polaire rallied from eighth in a field of 18 to win her first Grade 1 race in a photo finish in Sunday’s $1.87 million Victoria Mile for fillies and mares on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
Olmedo won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, and Teppal scored an upset in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the French 1000 Guineas, on a strange Sunday program at Longchamp.
Ecton Blade, a 3-year-old son of the Kentucky-bred Ecton Park, won the $937,000 Korean Derby on Sunday at Seoul Race Course by three lengths, rewarding the relatively few backers who had made the horse the win-pool favorite in the 10-horse field.
Soul Stirring, the winner of the 2017 Japanese Oaks, and two other 2017 Grade 1 winners, Aerolithe and Admire Lead, are part of a competitive field of 18 in Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
U S Navy Flag finished a flat fourth in his 3-year-old debut and antepost bettors are more taken with a trio of French colts, Wootton, Olmedo, and Dice Roll in Sunday's French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp.
