Paddington gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a record seventh career win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Racecourse near London, also a milestone race for the world-class 3-year-old colt.

Paddington beat older horses for the first time in the Eclipse Stakes in his debut at 1 1/4 miles. Owned by the Coolmore syndicate, Paddington has won three consecutive Group 1 races, including the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh in May, and the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Those races were for 3-year-olds at a mile.

An outside rally may be all the 4-year-old gelding Chowdah needs to end a three-race losing streak in a one-mile handicap at Dubbo Racecourse in Australia on Sunday evening.

Chowdah finished fifth, beaten just three-quarters of a length by East Harlem, in a seven-furlong handicap at Dubbo on June 26, closing from last of 14. Chowdah rallied on the rail, overcame trouble on the turn and had a clear run through the final furlong to be nearest the front at the finish.

A wide rally may have resulted in a win, considering how close Chowdah was to the front at the finish.

Two starts into his Australian career, the Irish-bred gelding Space Tracker seems poised for a win.

A three-time winner in Britain in 2022, Space Tracker was third by a neck in his June 3 debut in Australia and second by slightly more than a length June 17.

Those narrow losses have made Space Tracker the early favorite in the Grafton Cup at a mile at Grafton Racecourse on Saturday evening.

Chaldean will be without regular rider Frankie Dettori when he seeks his third Group 1 in the Prix Jean Prat on Sunday at Deauville Racecourse.

With Dettori serving a nine-day suspension picked up at Royal Ascot, Oisin Murphy has the ride on Chaldean, who won the Group 1 Dewhurst last fall and the English 2000 Guineas in May. At Royal Ascot in the St. James’s Palace Stakes, Chaldean ran well enough but was no match for Paddington, who was to face older horses this weekend in the Eclipse Stakes.  

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, July 09, 2023)

The well-traveled Tamahere won stakes in France, and at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park in 2020 and 2021.

Now racing on her third continent, Tamahere has not had the same measure of success in Australia, going winless in her first three starts in the country.

The losing streak has a chance to end in the $105,900 Winter Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Friday evening. A 6-year-old mare, Tamahere will start for the second time this year as part of a full field of 14.

With a minute amount of luck, Miss Shalaa and Ollie’s Secret would have won their last starts in Australia in June.

Both closed from stalking positions to finish second by a nose, Ollie’s Secret in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on the Beaumont course at Newcastle on June 19, and Miss Shalaa in a one-mile handicap at Gosford Racecourse on June 22.

They meet for the first time in a one-mile handicap at Tamworth Racecourse on Thursday evening. Ollie’s Secret (2-1) and Miss Shalaa (9-2) were at the head of betting on Wednesday morning.

Paul Lally:
R1 10-2-12-3

R2 2-3-6-1

R3 3-6-8-10

R4 3-4-7-6

R5 7-1-4-12

R6 9-5-6-3

R7 6-3-12-1

R8 1-8-6-4

R9 3-6-2-5

Best Bet R5 N7 Beau Gosse

Longshot R9 N3 California Cible

Play Race3 QQP 3-6-8

A five-month layoff may not be a burden for the 4-year-old filly Du Jour Idea in a six-furlong handicap at Gosford Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday evening.

Du Jour Idea won a maiden race in her fourth career start following a layoff of more than three months in January and finished a good third in her next start in a six-furlong handicap in February.

Both of those races were at Gosford where Du Jour Idea is based with trainer Kylie Gavenlock.