By Leo Schlink

In a meeting of firsts, Keagan De Melo and Andrea Atzeni celebrated significant breakthrough victories with momentum-building triumphs at Happy Valley’s season-opening fixture on Wednesday night (13 September).

Recruited to bolster Hong Kong’s world-class jockey ranks, reigning South African champion De Melo and European Classic-winning Atzeni showcased impressive credentials in decisive fashion at only the second meeting of the season with the fourth and fifth rides, respectively.

European imports may dominate three Group 3 races on the Newcastle Gold Cup program on the East Coast of Australia on Thursday evening.

Cleveland, winner of the prestigious Chester Cup in Britain in 2022, is the 3-1 favorite in early betting to win for the first time in his career in Australia in the $192,800 Newcastle Gold Cup at Newcastle Racecourse, provided he can overcome a wide trip in the turf marathon.

There is no doubt that Frilled is a fast filly in Australia. Two wins in as many starts in April and May showed that.

How she will fare after a four-month layoff is one of the few unknown factors in Frilled’s appearance in a five-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Wednesday evening.

Frilled is expected to win, judging from early betting. She was even money on Tuesday to extend her success against seven rivals.

Paul Lally:

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

Best Bet R7 N6 Heroic Master
Longshot R8 N4 Excellent Peers
Play R3 QQP1-3-5

Tom Wood:

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

BEST: R3 N5 MEGA BONUS (WIN)
VALUE: R4 N9 SHINKANSEN (EW)
PLAY: R8 QQP 1,10,11

Mark McNamara:

By Declan Schuster

Aiming to build on his first 50-win season in Hong Kong, jockey Lyle Hewitson heads into Wednesday’s (13 September) eight-race card primed to reunite with One For All in a cracking Class 3 Mui Wo Handicap (1200m).

Happy Valley’s first fixture of the season marks the start of the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge, which runs until 21 February, 2024. The competition is for horses racing in Class 3 and above, with points awarded for first, second, third and fourth place finishes.

Travelling Kate was on a two-race winning streak in Australia when she started in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney on Aug. 26.

She raced closer to the front than in her wins and failed to sustain her run, tiring to finish last of nine.

Chances are Travelling Kate will be given a more patient ride in a handicap at 1 3/16 miles at Canterbury Park on Tuesday evening.

By Leo Schlink

Danny Shum will plot a path towards the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) on 10 December with Victor The Winner after the lightly-raced gelding toppled Lucky Sweynesse, the world’s highest-rated sprinter, in the Class 1 the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (10 September).

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, September 13, 2023)

The Arc trials on Sunday at Longchamp Racecourse in France might have been more like Breeders’ Cup auditions. 

Warm Heart followed her strong win in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks last month in England with another excellent performance in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares, bursting between horses with a quarter-mile to run, quickly making the lead, idling, then repelling a big run from Melo Melo to win by a head.  

Barry’s Lane is a 7-year-old gelding based in Australia who has won 5 of 39 starts since his career began in late 2020.

Barry’s Lane won for the first time in 2021 and twice last year.

The last seven weeks have been different.

Barry’s Lane has won two of his last three starts, the best span of his career, and has an excellent chance to win again in a handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook on Monday evening.