Paul Lally:
R1 1-8-2-6
R2 2-6-3-10
R3 4-1-5-7
R4 4-11-5-6
R5 4-2-6-3
R6 1-7-9-6
R7 1-6-4-8
R8 5-4-3-9
Best Bet R3 N4 Red Hare King
Longshot R7 N1 Splendid Living
Play R6 QQP 1-7-9
Nick Child:
R1 | 1-6-7-2
R2 | 2-5-3-6
R3 | 4-7-1-5
R4 | 12-4-7-10
R5 | 4-11-2-5
R6 | 9-3-7-1 (Q/QP 3-7-9)
R7 | 9-4-6-11
R8 | 3-9-4-7 (Q/QP 3-4-9)
BEST BET | R8 N3 BRAVE STAR
LONGSHOT BET | R4 N12 HARMONY N HOME
PLAY | R3 (WIN 4)
Alexis Badel is hoping to time it right aboard the rapidly rising Happy Together in Wednesday night’s (10 January) HK$4.2 million G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m).
Amid a sparkling season with three wins from four starts, Happy Together continues to up the ante, enough so to warrant his shot at Happy Valley’s sole Group race with Badel confident he has found the key to unlocking even more success for the five-year-old.
The Australian gelding Cool Jakey has won three of six starts and would arguably have a better record if problems at the gate had not surfaced on occasion since his career began in February.
When he starts well, Cool Jakey has been tough to beat in sprints. With his favorable record, Cool Jakey will be favored to win his second consecutive start in a seven-furlong handicap at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Friday evening.
The handicap is part of a 10-race program that begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern or 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Thriving in the absence of Zac Purton and Hugh Bowman, Karis Teetan and Vincent Ho consolidated positions inside the top five of the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with doubles at Happy Valley on Thursday night (4 January).
Teetan, who sits second in the standings with 35 victories, combined twice with Douglas Whyte to cut Zac Purton’s lead to 15 wins with the Australian on a rare leave of absence, while Ho moved into fifth place with 19 wins after teaming up staunch ally Francis Lui on two occasions.
Pierre Ng’s inexorable rise continued at Sha Tin on Monday (1 January) when Taj Dragon provided the young trainer with his first black type triumph with comprehensive victory in the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m).
Handing Andrea Atzeni his most important win in Hong Kong, Taj Dragon (116lb) swept to a two-length margin over 2022 winner Healthy Happy (117lb) and Beauty Joy (123lb) as Ng posted his 40th winner of the term to boost hopes of clinching the trainers’ championship in only his second season.
The gelding Recommendation rallied through the final furlong to win the Razor Sharp Handicap at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, by a nose on Dec. 9, ending a three-race losing streak.
Recommendation has been so consistent that the losing streak was the longest of his 12-race career, which includes six wins.
The admirable record has left the 4-year-old Recommendation among the leading chances in the Canterbury Sprint at Canterbury Park outside of Sydney on Sunday evening.
