By Leo Schlink

David Hall hopes Invincible Sage can again contend for Hong Kong’s elite sprint contests this season, but believes lower-weighted rivals in the HK$4.2 million G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Tuesday (1 October) are better suited by the race conditions.

Invincible Sage will carry 135lb under Hugh Bowman and will concede 20lb to six of his eight rivals tomorrow – Whizz Kid, Nervous Witness, Beauty Waves, Call Me Glorious, Magic Control and Baby Crystal, who are all assigned 115lb.

Dismissed at 39-1 in American pools, Lugal stalked the pace and held off a late threat from Toshin Macau to win Sunday’s Grade 1 $2.31 million Sprinters Stakes at six furlongs at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

Ridden by Atsuya Nishimura, Lugal won by a neck over 15-1 Toshin Macau, who was a neck in front of 9-1 Namura Clair. Toshin Macau closed from seventh to be closest to the front at the finish.

Sha Tin Selections
(Tuesday, October 01, 2024)

By Declan Schuster

Pierre Ng hopes the mix of a favourable temperament and the potential of a frantic pace can bring the best out of Mugen when he lines up in the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama on Sunday (29 September) in Japan.

“One good thing about Mugen is that he has a very good temperament. He’s travelled between Sha Tin and Conghua – he’s been training to that pattern.

By Leo Schlink

David Hayes will aim Rubylot at the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) in January after the talented gelding claimed the Class 3 Yan Chai Trophy Handicap (1200m) with a devastating sprint at Sha Tin on Saturday (28 September).

Ridden by Brenton Avdulla in place of Hugh Bowman, who was indisposed, Rubylot posted his fourth win from 13 starts and is, according to Hayes, the most improved horse in the dual Hong Kong champion trainer’s stable.

Mad Cool, an Irish-bred 5-year-old, can become the sixth horse to sweep Japan’s two Grade 1 sprints in the same year when he starts as one of the leading choices in Sunday’s $2.31 million Sprinters Stakes at six furlongs at Nakayama Racecourse.

Mad Cool, second in the 2023 Sprinters Stakes, won the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs at Chukyo in March in a 9-1 upset, but followed with a surprising last-place finish in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in April, his most recent start.

Paul Lally:

R1 7-6-1-4
R2 6-8-3-4
R3 5-3-7-2
R4 10-3-1-5
R5 7-6-12-2
R6 3-11-2-6
R7 1-2-9-6
R8 3-2-1-4
R9 12-6-7-2
R10 2-12-6-3

Best Bet R5 N7 Mr Energia
Longshot R6 N3 My Flying Angel
Play R9 QQP 6-7-12

Tom Wood:

R1: 1-4-7-3
R2: 2-6-3-8
R3: 3-5-2-7
R4: 3-8-6-11
R5: 4-2-7-11
R6: 11-6-2-8
R7: 1-2-9-8
R8: 4-2-5-6
R9: 6-7-13-12
R10: 2-13-3-8

By Leo Schlink

Zac Purton believes racing manners will be crucial to Bottomuptogether’s prospects in the Class 3 Yan Chai Trophy Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin tomorrow (Saturday, 28 September) when the unbeaten gelding bids to advance Four-Year-Old Classic Series credentials with a fourth successive win.

One might think, having seen his impressive victory in the Group 1 Prix Morny on Aug. 18, that Whistlejacket, a beast of a colt, rates as the best 2-year-old sprinter in Europe – but for the fact that the filly Babouche had handed him a 1 1/2-length defeat just eight days earlier in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes.

Broadsiding has won four stakes in Australia since mid-April, while Traffic Warden has won two since early March.

As a pair, they give Godolphin Racing and trainer James Cummings a deep team in Friday’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, Australia.