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
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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.
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.
By Leo Schlink
Zac Purton believes Circuit Stellar’s barrier manners will be crucial to the outcome of the HK$4.2 million G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (24 September) when Tony Cruz searches for a third successive victory in the season’s first Group contest.
The lightly raced 5-year-old gelding Cliff House faces the most difficult task of his career from a wide draw in the Panorama Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Bathurst Racecourse in Australia on Saturday evening.
Cliff House has won three of four starts this year against lower classes of handicap runners than he will face in the Panorama Handicap, which will have a full field of 14.
A winner of 4 of 8 starts, Cliff House drew post 14, but may move to the inside, pending late scratches.
Shinzo, unraced since an upset win in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes in March, faces a familiar rival in his return in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening.
In the $3.32 million Golden Slipper, the world’s richest race for 2-year-olds, Shinzo closed from seventh in a field of 14 to win by slightly more than a length under jockey Ryan Moore at 15-1.
