The last time the 5-year-old mare Namur raced in Japan, she beat males in the Grade 1 Mile Championship last November.
Since then, she has enhanced her international reputation, finishing third in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin last December, and second by a nose in the Group 1 Dubai Turf in the United Arab Emirates on March 30.
Henry Longfellow, 3 for 3 as a 2-year-old, is one of 13 entered in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, a one-turn, one-mile contest Sunday at Longchamp.
The likely favorite figures to perform better in this Guineas race than his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate, City of Troy, who finished ninth May 4 as the odds-on choice in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
In 2021, the English-bred gelding Zaaki won his first stakes in Australia in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at Sunshine Coast Racecourse in Brisbane. When he was retired earlier this year, Zaaki had amassed 11 stakes wins, including three consecutive runnings of the Hollindale.
Zaaki was trained by Annabel Neasham who has another recent import in her stable for the Hollindale in Mighty Ulysses, a two-time stakes winner in England in 2022 and 2023 for trainers John and Thady Gosden.
Super Joy N Fun’s unblemished record will go on the line in Wednesday night’s (8 May) Class 3 Shelley Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley.
Two for two to commence his career for trainer Benno Yung, the gifted Super Joy N Fun faces nine rivals in his class-rising task, including five who have won in the grade before.
Zac Purton takes the mount this week from barrier one. Jerry Chau, who is suspended, steered the three-year-old son of What’s The Story to both of his previous victories.
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-6-10-11
R2: 3-7-1-2
R3: 7-9-1-2
R4: 1-10-11-9
R5: 9-1-2-8
R6: 8-10-2-6
R7: 10-2-3-4
R8: 6-1-5-10
R9: 2-8-1-10
Best Bet R7 N10 Chain Of Gold
Longshot R2 N3 Ever Smart
Play R8 QQP 1-5-6
Nick Child:
R1 | 1-10-11-6
R2 | 1-8-7-11
R3 | 1-2-11-3
R4 | 1-10-11-7
R5 | 1-2-5-3
R6 | 3-6-2-1
R7 | 3-10-2-7 (Q/QP 2-3-10)
R8 | 1-6-5-10
R9 | 8-4-2-10 (F/C 8-4)
The timing was perfect.
Elmalka, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, closed from last of 18 to win Sunday’s Group 1 English 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse in a shocking result.
Elmalka paid $88.20 in American pools, but was only 28-1 with British bookmakers.
The filly’s few supporters watched in suspense as Elmalka closed steadily through the final sixteenth to grab the lead on the line, edging 11-1 Porta Fortuna, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita last November.
Jantar Mantar, Japan’s champion 2-year-old male of 2023, returned to a mile for the first time since December and in the process ended a two-race losing streak in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
Jantar Mantar, who paid $5.10 in American pools as the favorite in a field of 18, finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of Ascoli Piceno, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2023.
In his turf debut, Notable Speech upended Europe’s 3-year-old division with a surprise win in Saturday’s Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse.
Notable Speech (who paid $25.60 in American pools) closed from the back of a field of 11 to take the lead from 9-1 Rosallion, who led briefly with less than a quarter-mile remaining.
