SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, 17 December, 2023)

A slight drop in class, as well as the benefit of a recent start after a four-month layoff, gives the veteran gelding Magic in Me a better chance for a seventh career win in a six-furlong handicap at Murwillumbah Racecourse in Australia on Thursday evening.

Magic In Me, who has had 45 starts, finished third by three lengths in a six-furlong handicap at Ipswich Racecourse on Nov. 29 in his first start since mid-August. Magic In Me was third early at Ipswich and was unable to threaten the first two finishers while finishing clear of the remaining four runners.

By Declan Schuster

Hong Kong has some of the world’s best top-end talent right now. Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and Lucky Sweynesse continue to dominate their respective divisions, winning three out of the four star-studded Group 1s at Sunday’s (10 December) HK$118 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin.

Fresh from a win in a maiden race on Nov. 21, Fioprospero will race against a modest field of winners in a one-mile handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday evening.

A 3-year-old gelding, Fioprospero railed from ninth in a field of 10 to win a one-mile race at Newcastle last month in his first start since a fifth-place finish in a sprint in mid-July. The race at Newcastle was Fioprospero’s first start at a mile.

A Group 1 winner in Australia as recently as May, the 4-year-old filly Royal Merchant will face a significantly easier field in the Magic Millions 3- and 4-year-old Stakes at six furlongs at Wyong Racecourse on Tuesday evening.

An appearance in the $98,300 Magic Millions Stakes amounts to a career restart for Royal Merchant, who has won 4 of 16 races for the prominent stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“In my humble opinion, I’ve been here now for 25 years and this was one of the best - if not the best - days of racing we have had in Hong Kong,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, December 13, 2023)

Are You Joking, scratched from a one-mile handicap last week, will have his debut against winners in a seven-furlong handicap at Tamworth Racecourse in Australia on Monday evening.

Are You Joking won his third career start in a maiden race at about 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook Racecourse on Nov. 24. The race at Tamworth will be the longest start of his career.

A 3-year-old gelding, Are You Joking was rated as a contender in the one-mile race at Scone last week, and will be favored in a field of 10 at Tamworth.

Ascoli Piceno remained unbeaten after three starts with a stakes-record performance in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at a mile on turf at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.

The victory in the $863,300 race assures Ascoli Piceno of the 2-year-old filly championship.

Ridden by Hiroshi Kitamura, Ascoli Piceno ($10.90 in American pools) closed from the middle of a field of 18 to lead in the final sixteenth, holding off a late threat from 7-1 Stellenbosch to win by a neck.

Golden Sixty was the horse of the day but the Hong Kong Cup was the race of the day, local hero Romantic Warrior edging Luxembourg by a nose in the Group 1 fixture Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse.

The Japanese 7-year-old Hishi Iguazu, second in the 2021 Cup, also was part of a three-horse photo finish, falling a neck short of the top two.

Romantic Warrior won the $4.61 million Cup for the second year in a row, while the Aidan O’Brien-trained, Ryan Moore-ridden Luxembourg nearly became the 2,000-meter race’s first European winner since Snow Fairy in 2010.