By Declan Schuster

Courier Wonder makes his highly anticipated return to competition in Sunday’s (28 January) HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin.

The six-year-old burst onto the scene as a youngster with five wins from his first five starts before setbacks slowed his progress.

Now trained by Mark Newnham – his third trainer after John Size and Danny Shum – the two-time Group 1-placed Courier Wonder jumps back into the fray following an eye-catching trial over 1000m on the Sha Tin turf on 9 January.

Paul Lally:

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

Best Bet R3 N9 Legion Of Merit
Longshot R5 N6 Shanghai Style
Plays R2 QQP 1-4-6

Mark McNamara:

R1 – 5.3.8.2
R2 – 1.3.5.4
R3 – 3.4.9.14
R4 – 10.2.3.1
R5 – 10.1.8.4
R6 – 6.7.4.1
R7 – 9.3.2.6
R8 – 4.2.10.9

Best Bet R1 N5 Blissful Star
Longshot R3 N14 Young Horizon
Play R1 Q/QP 5.3.8

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, January 24, 2024)

Geegees Mistruth and Viola Vivice are undefeated fillies, both race from off the pace, and they will have their first stakes start in the Elwick Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Hobart Racecourse in Australia on Saturday evening.

The similarities do not stop there. Geegees Mistruth and Viola Vivice were both 11-10 in early betting on Friday to win the Elwick Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Two differences are their levels of experience and stables of origin.

The Group 1, $1.3 million Stewards’ Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong is more notable for who’s not running than who is. 

Golden Sixty, Hong Kong’s best horse in training – and possibly best horse ever – won the Stewards’ Cup in 2021 and 2023 and made a triumphant return to racing following a long layoff with a stirring win Dec. 10 in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile. But in late December, Golden Sixty suffered a minor leg injury and was to have his January training restricted to light trotting, forcing him out of an intended Stewards’ Cup start.  

Ricky Yiu is hopeful Voyage Bubble can become Hong Kong’s newest Group 1 champion with victory in the HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (21 January) and enhance prospects of potential overseas assignments.

The winner of 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), Voyage Bubble was a last-start second to Golden Sixty in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) to confirm undisputed class, but Yiu believes the Deep Field five-year-old still has scope for further improvement.

Tom Wood: 
R1: 1-7-14-13 
R2: 7-6-1-8 
R3: 2-4-3-8 
R4: 3-12-4-7 
R5: 3-2-8-10 
R6: 3-1-8-11 
R7: 2-5-6-1 
R8: 5-4-11-13 
R9: 2-10-7-5 
R10: 13-8-2-12 
BEST: R6 N3 GENEVA (WIN) 
VALUE: R5 N3 SUPERB KID (EW) 
PLAY: R5 QQP 2,3,8 

With the benefit of a recent prep race, Powerful Peg looks well-placed to add to her prolific race record in a lucrative seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening.

A winner of 6 of 15 starts, Powerful Peg was second by a neck in a six-furlong handicap at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Dec. 30 in her first start since late August.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, January 21, 2024)

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

Best Bet R2 N7 Mr Aladdin
Longshot R7 N3 California Voce
Play R5 QQP 4-5-12

Nick Child:

R1 | 2-3-7-1
R2 | 5-9-10-1
R3 | 6-8-5-7
R4 | 2-9-1-5 (WIN 2)
R5 | 8-7-4-9
R6 | 2-4-3-10
R7 | 7-12-9-2
R8 | 5-2-1-8 (Q/QP 1-2-5)

BEST BET | R8 N5 RAGING BLIZZARD
LONGSHOT BET | R5 N8 AROMATICA
PLAY | R6 (Q/QP 2-3-4)

Tom Wood: