Seven races into his Hong Kong career, Helene Charisma is winless with one second, by three-quarters of a length, in the Grade 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup on April 30. The 4-year-old colt will have what is likely his final start of the season in Sunday’s $224,904 Pok Fu Lam Country Park Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The 3-year-olds Barney Roy, Cliffs of Moher, and Eminent will race outside their age group for the first time in Saturday's Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Sandown Park, south of London.
Sha Tin selections and analysis for Sunday, July 9, 2017
Nezwaah won the first Group 1 race of her career in Sunday’s $256,792 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf, beating a field that included Zhukova, the winner of the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park on May 13.
The deck keeps getting shuffled, but Aidan O’Brien still holds all the right cards. O’Brien upset the Epsom Derby last month with longshot bomber Wings of Eagles, who beat his better-fancied stablemate Cliffs of Moher. On Saturday, it was Wings of Eagles who was favored in the Group 1, $977,652 Irish Derby, but O’Brien won it with Capri, who was ridden at The Curragh by Seamie Heffernan.
Sha Tin selections for Saturday, July 1, 2017
Zhukova had a successful journey from Ireland to New York last month, winning the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes against males at Belmont Park on May 13. Her next assignment is much closer to home – Sunday's Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares at The Curragh in Ireland. Zhukova won the Man o' War on a very soft course and is expected to get similar type of ground on Sunday.
My Darling will carry topweight of 133 pounds in Saturday’s $224,195 Hong Kong Reunification Cup at Sha Tin, which is run at seven furlongs on turf.
He won the Epsom Derby as a 40-1 shot with little known jockey Padraig Beggy on his back, but can Wings of Eagles score again Saturday at The Curragh under Ryan Moore as one of the favorites in the Group 1 Irish Derby?
Sha Tin selections and analysis for Saturday, July 1, 2017
