Shuwari is the solid early favorite to beat seven rivals and run her career mark to 3 for 3 in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes on Friday at Newmarket Racecourse. 

The seven-furlong, straight-course Rockfel, for 2-year-old fillies, is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and thus offers the winner automatic fees-paid entry into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and travel expenses to Santa Anita this fall. 

One could imagine Shuwari making that long trip if she runs to expectations in the Rockfel. 

The Australian gelding Chop the Ice will have his first road trip when he starts in a sprint handicap at Moruya Racecourse on Thursday evening.

A winner of 2 of 6 starts, Chop the Ice has raced only at Canberra Racecourse where he is part of trainer Gratz Vella’s stable. At Moruya, approximately 100 miles from Canberra on the southeast coast, Chop the Ice will start for the first time at 7 1/4 furlongs with a chance to extend his winning streak to three races.

Oakfield Prince, a veteran of 26 races, has finished second in his last two starts in Australia since mid-August, losing by a neck and three-quarters of a length.

The near-misses make Oakfield Prince the favorite to end a 21-race losing streak since June 2021 in a one-mile handicap at Wyong Racecourse on Wednesday evening, provided he can hold off a late threat from the upstart filly Moritz Girl.

By Declan Schuster

Alexis Badel is off the mark for the new season and the flying Frenchman is chasing further momentum at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (27 September).

Winless across the term’s first four fixtures, Badel collected a double on Sunday (24 September) at Sha Tin, kicking off his pair with victory in the G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) aboard Healthy Happy before Happy Together sauntered to impressive success later on the card. Both victories came for trainer Frankie Lor.

Paul Lally:

R1 2-1-5-3
R2 1-7-6-2
R3 4-3-8-7
R4 2-5-7-1
R5 1-10-11-3
R6 10-7-6-3
R7 3-10-1-7
R8 4-5-6-9
R9 7-10-3-1

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming

Best Bet R6 N10 Super Eagle
Longshot R4 N2 Beautyverse
Play R5 QQP 1-10-11

Mark McNamara:

The lightly raced gelding Carrazana will be a strong favorite to win his second consecutive start in a seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday evening, the first time the New Zealand-bred will be ridden by top jockey James McDonald.

McDonald, a native of New Zealand who has led the Australian standings in recent years in money earnings, has four mounts on a seven-race program at Rosehill Gardens, his first day of riding since he sustained an ankle injury on Sept. 2.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, September 27, 2023)

By Leo Schlink

Healthy Happy claimed Hong Kong’s first black type victory of the 2023/24 season with success in the G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (24 September) when a belated reunion with Alexis Badel delivered drought-breaking triumph.

Badel has been aboard in three of Healthy Happy’s five Hong Kong wins – the 2021 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), the 2022 G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) and today’s HK$4.2 million feature – but the Frenchman has not always been available to partner the seven-year-old.

Extra Smart was quick enough to win at five furlongs against maidens last December, and may be better suited to a slightly longer race when she has her debut at six furlongs in a handicap on the Beaumont course at Newcastle on Monday evening.

The maiden race victory is Extra Smart’s only win in seven starts. A 4-year-old filly, Extra Smart finished fourth by four lengths in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Scone Racecourse on Sept. 5 in her first start in nearly three months.

The 5-year-old mare Imperioness will be a slight favorite to end an eight-race losing streak in a seven-furlong handicap at Tamworth Racecourse in Australia on Sunday evening, a race she can win following a promising comeback from a recent layoff.

Imperioness, trained by Cameron Crockett, finished seventh by slightly less than a length in a handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook on Sept. 12, racing near the front throughout.