Aidan O’Brien winning the Epsom Derby? No surprise. Aidan O’Brien winning the Epsom Derby on Saturday at Epsom Downs with a horse named Wings of Eagles ridden by a jockey named Padraig Beggy? Big surprise.
Sha Tin selections for Sunday, June 4.
Ten years ago, a small subset of American horsemen might have tuned in to watch the big races run at the Royal Ascot meeting each June in England. A decade later, an American trainer with a high-class turf horse thriving during spring probably is at least considering going to Ascot to race.
Circuit Land has chased two of the best runners in Hong Kong in recent starts, and may achieve his elusive first group stakes win in Sunday’s Group 3 Lion Rock Trophy at a mile on turf at Sha Tin.
More than three years have gone by since Isla Bonita won the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas. The now 6-year-old horse has lost seven subsequent starts in Grade 1 races, a streak that could end in Sunday's Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
Brametot, the winner of the French 2000 Guineas at Deauville on May 14, will face a distance test in Sunday's Group 1 French Derby at 1 5/16 miles at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris.
Enable turned away the heavily favored Rhododendron in the final quarter-mile and pulled clear through driving rain to win the Group 1 Epsom Oaks by five lengths on Friday at Epsom Downs in England. Also on the card, Highland Reel took the field all the way in the Group 1 Coronation Cup.
The trainer John Gosden won his first Epsom Derby in 1997 with Benny the Dip. It took Gosden until 2015 to win his second, when Golden Horn prevailed, but on Saturday at Epsom Downs, Gosden will send out co-favored Cracksman with a decent chance to win the Derby for the second time in three years.
Sha Tin selections and analysis for Sunday, June 4.
Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore group won two classics last weekend, the Irish 2000 Guineas with Churchill and the Irish 1000 Guineas with Winter, and in Rhododendron they have the favorite for another one, the Group 1 Epsom Oaks on Friday in England.
