AINTREE, England – Pic d’Orhy, the veteran gelding who starts in Friday’s Grade 1 Melling Chase at 2 1/2 miles at Aintree Racecourse, has a career record in steeplechases separated by a breathing operation in the summer of 2022.
Before the operation, Pic d’Orhy was winless in two Grade 1 races in Britain. Since then, the 9-year-old has won two Grade 1 races and finished second in another.
Bought for approximately $3.5 million last December, Via Sistina has a reputation that belongs atop the list of contenders for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening.
So far this year, Via Sistina has matched the expectations that accompanied her sale price in Britain last December. In her Australian debut, Via Sistina closed from last of six to win the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney on March 23 as the 6-5 favorite.
AINTREE, England -- The 8-year-old gelding Gerri Colombe has a chance to duplicate his springtime record of 2023 when he starts favored in Thursday’s Grade 1 William Hill Bowl Chase at 3 1/4 miles at Aintree Racecourse.
Last spring, Gerri Colombe was second by a nose in a Grade 1 novices’ chase at Cheltenham, England before winning a Grade 1 novices’ chase at Aintree, his last two starts of the 2022-23 jump racing season.
By Declan Schuster
Danny Shum has always been the adventurous type and the trainer has more ambitious plans already in motion for Romantic Warrior.
Eyeing a third straight HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) win with his champion horse on FWD Champions Day (28 April) at Sha Tin, Shum will then test Romantic Warrior over Tokyo’s challenging turf course in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) on 2 June.
Paul Lally:
R1 10-9-4-2
R2 2-3-1-5
R3 3-2-5-7
R4 1-3-6-8
R5 5-10-7-12
R6 6-3-9-1
R7 1-7-4-10
R8 6-3-5-7
R9 2-8-7-9
Best Bet R3 N3 Moments in Time
Longshot R8 N6 Eighteen Palms
Play R4 QQP 1-3-6
Tom Wood:
R1: 2-7-10-5
R2: 9-3-2-1
R3: 2-3-8-1
R4: 1-3-9-5
R5: 3-5-8-1
R6: 6-2-9-4
R7: 1-4-10-2
R8: 4-3-1-2
R9: 8-9-1-4
Nearly four months after she lost the 2023 title for Japanese champion 2-year-old filly with a neck loss in a Grade 1 race, Stellenbosch began her current season in ideal manner on Sunday, winning the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Hanshin Racecourse.
Stellenbosch, who paid $10 in American pools as the second choice in a field of 18, edged Ascoli Piceno, who clinched the 2023 champion 2-year-old filly title by winning the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over Stellenbosch in December at the same track.
Bracken’s Laugh won his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s $126,300 Woodford Reserve Cardinal Condition Stakes at a mile on the synthetic track at Chelmsford City Racecourse in Britain, the final qualifying race in the European series for the Kentucky Derby.
The $126,600 Woodford Reserve Cardinal Condition Stakes at a mile on the synthetic track at Chelmsford City Racecourse in Britain on Saturday is the final qualifying race in the European series for the Kentucky Derby.
This year, it is doubtful the Cardinal Stakes will affect the field for the Kentucky Derby on May 4.
