Paul Lally:
R1 2-7-8-1
R2 9-6-10-3
R3 8-6-12-2
R4 12-9-6-1
R5 6-5-7-2
R6 2-4-10-8
R7 2-3-9-1
R8 1-8-7-5
Best Bet R3 N8 Gallant Valour
Longshot R8 N1 Power Koepp
Play R4 QQP 6-9-12
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Mark McNamara:
Geldings such as The Extreme Cat are one of the reasons jockey Ashley Morgan is near the top of the standings at tracks in the state of New South Wales in Australia.
Morgan, who rode very briefly at Santa Anita in the autumn of 2022, rides The Extreme Cat in a six-furlong handicap at Gosford Racecourse on Wednesday evening. Morgan knows The Extreme Cat well, having ridden the 4-year-old to a convincing win in a five-furlong maiden race at Coffs Harbour Racecourse on Nov. 30.
For The Extreme Cat, the race at Coffs Harbour was his fourth start, and first since April.
Edmond was an eager gelding midway through a handicap at 7 3/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park in Australia on Dec. 8.
Edmond raced closer to the front than expected and was unable to sustain the effort, fading to finish third by a little more than two lengths.
A six-time winner, Edmond will have his second start of December in a one-mile handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney on Tuesday evening. He is part of a field of nine.
While Edmond may again race near the front, he should have pace to follow from Lemaire, another contender.
A ground-saving trip helped the undefeated colt Jantar Mantar extend his unbeaten streak to three races, and make a compelling case for champion 2-year-old male of 2023, in Sunday’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan.
Ridden by Yuga Kawada, Jantar Mantar stalked the pace in the middle of a field of 17 from post 3 and remained on the inside until he took the lead in early stretch. Jantar Mantar was allowed to drift away from the inside through the stretch, but was always clear.
The 4-year-old gelding Heika will be an odds-on favorite to win for the fourth time in his seventh start in the longest race of his career at 1 3/8 miles at Scone Racecourse in Australia on Monday evening.
While Heika was seventh in a handicap at 1 3/16 miles at Gosford in his last start on Nov. 25, he has every chance to rebound at Scone.
The turf course is expected to be good, the type of surface that works for Heika, who has won three times on good turf. The turf course was rated as heavy at Gosford.
Caring Lass, Lehndorff, and Not Too Bad were all winners of their last starts in Australia in late November and early December in a similar manner, racing near the front throughout races at a mile.
They meet for the first time in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Bathurst Racecourse on Sunday evening, starting at a distance that may pose a test for a few of them.
By Jim McGrath
Top international jockeys have been coming to Hong Kong since the start of the professional era in 1971. In that first season, with Happy Valley the only track, the RHKJC — R was for ‘Royal’ in those days — managed to entice Lester Piggott and Yves Saint-Martin, the best in England and France, respectively.
By Leo Schlink
With five winners from the past four Sha Tin meetings, Alexis Badel hopes Ping Hai Galaxy can extend the Frenchman’s productive streak when the veteran gelding contests the Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (17 December).
One of Hong Kong’s fastest horses, Ping Hai Galaxy led throughout last start to land the Class 2 The Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup Handicap (1200m) on Sha Tin’s dirt course on 3 December, defeating Flying Ace by a short head.
The two-time stakes winner Turk Warrior has won 11 of 20 starts in his career in Australia, racing exclusively in sprints.
Turk Warrior has won 5 of 8 starts at Hobart Racecourse on the island of Tasmania and will race there for the first time in more than a year in the Winzenberg Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on Saturday evening.
The undefeated colt Jantar Mantar has drawn an ideal post for Sunday’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, a one-mile turf race that annually plays a leading role in balloting for the country’s juvenile champion.
Jantar Mantar starts from post 3 in a field of 17, a good post for a colt who has won his first two starts from a stalking position.
