The lightly-raced 3-year-old gelding Know Thyself has won three of his first four starts in Australia leading to his stakes debut in the Group 3 Winx Guineas at Sunshine Coast Racecourse on Friday evening.
Know Thyself will be favored because of the promising start to his career, his stalking style and a win by 5 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on June 15 in his most recent race.
His powerful Epsom Derby win in the rearview mirror and a potential Breeders’ Cup Classic start still beyond the horizon, City of Troy is set to run in Group 1 Eclipse Stakes on Saturday at Sandown Park in England.
By Declan Schuster
Douglas Whyte is optimistic Majestic Knight (135lb) can hop back on a trail of ascendancy when he lines up in Thursday night’s (4 July) HK$2.84 million Class 2 Briar Handicap (1000m) at Happy Valley.
Well beaten last start after racing wide throughout to finish 11th, Majestic Knight returns in a bid to capture his fourth city circuit victory this season.
“If you look at when he won the start before and the way he ran due to circumstances and positioning – I think we can put a line through that,” Whyte said.
Paul Lally:
R1: 4-10-2-7
R2: 6-1-3-5
R3: 2-5-10-4
R4: 4-9-3-5
R5: 6-8-9-3
R6: 2-3-12-1
R7: 3-1-6-5
R8: 1-7-2-6
R9: 3-1-10-4
Best Bet: R3 N2 Ma Comet
Longshot: R5 N6 The Azure
Play: Race9 QQP 1-3-10
Tom Wood:
R1: 4-2-1-7
R2: 6-5-1-3
R3: 5-2-8-9
R4: 5-4-9-7
R5: 2-4-9-3
R6: 3-2-6-11
R7: 8-5-1-3
R8: 7-1-2-11
R9: 10-7-3-1
BEST: R4 N5 RACINGRACE (WIN)
VALUE: R7 N8 SUPER HIGHWAY (EW)
PLAY: R4 QQP 4,5,9
No one was cooler than the colt Los Angeles and jockey Ryan Moore in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh in Ireland.
Winning a Group 1 for the first time this year, Los Angeles ($5.40 in American pools) rallied on the rail early in the three-furlong stretch and fought off a sustained challenge from even-money favorite Ambiente Friendly to win the $1.33 million Irish Derby at 1 1/2 miles.
Emily Upjohn looked clear for good with a furlong remaining in Saturday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland, until Bluestocking unleashed a rally that carried her to the front in the nick of time.
Ridden by Rossa Ryan, Bluestocking ($3.60 in American pools) wore down 2-1 Emily Upjohn in the final strides to win the $321,000 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles by a half-length. Content (12-1) finished third in the field of eight.
Ambiente Friendly, second in the Group 1 English Derby earlier this month, was supplemented to Sunday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh for the steep fee of $107,000 earlier this week.
To win one of Europe’s leading prizes for 3-year-olds, Ambiente Friendly has a task that will resonate with American sports fans outside of Southern California: Beat L.A.
Los Angeles, a colt trained by Aidan O’Brien, was the second pick in early betting as of Friday at 7-4, behind favored Ambiente Friendly at 5-4.
David Hall hopes Atullibigeal can add further lustre to his stable’s strong season with victory in the HK$2.84 million Class 2 Hong Kong Reunification Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Monday (1 July).
With 41 wins, Hall is only three victories short of matching his career-best haul of 44 wins in a Hong Kong season after a campaign crowned by Invincible Sage’s G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) triumph in April.
