The prolific gelding Osman was part of a hectic pace from an inside post in the Gooree Cup at seven furlongs at Mudgee Racecourse in Australia on May 7, fading rapidly through the final furlong to finish 11th of 12 at odds of 4-5.

The loss was Osman’s third start in three weeks and ended a two-race winning streak of races run eight days apart in April.

Osman will not be idle in trainer Mack Griffith’s stable for long. Osman starts as the likely favorite at around 2-1 in the Parkes Cup at a mile at tiny Parkes Racecourse, west of Sydney on Saturday evening.

Giga Kick’s career changed when the Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old won the world’s richest sprint, the $9.3 million Everest Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia last October.

Giga Kick was 20-1 in the Everest and has since been the subject of consistently high expectations, often failing to duplicate the achievement.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Saturday, 13 May, 2023)

The 2022 season did not go very well in Australia for Wild Planet.

A five-time stakes winner from 2018 to 2020, Wild Planet was winless in 10 starts, often racing in group-level competition.

A fifth-place finish in his comeback last month may be deceiving. The loss may have added to the losing streak, but Wild Planet closed with some interest to lose by 3 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on April 15. The distance was arguably too short for his best effort.

The three-time winner Rocstar Boy can end a nine-race losing streak since June in a sprint handicap at Wyong Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday evening.

Rocstar Boy has run well despite a string of recent defeats, finishing a close second in three consecutive races from late January to early March. More recently, Rocstar Boy was fourth by two lengths against tougher competition in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on March 19, and third by 1 1/2 lengths in a handicap at Newcastle on April 29.

A sharp drop in class may lead to a first win in Australia for the Irish-bred gelding Rogue Bear on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Tuesday evening.

Rogue Bear, a winner of 3 of 12 starts, has finished fifth and fourth in two handicaps at seven furlongs and 7 1/2 furlongs since early April, his first starts in Australia since he was sent to that country from Britain last year.

Champagne Color, sixth and third in his first two starts in graded stakes, recorded an upset win with a late rally in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup for 3-year-old colts and fillies at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

Champagne Color ($71.60) won for the third time in his fifth start, and first appearance in a Grade 1, in the $1.87 million NHK Mile Cup.

Ridden by Hiroyuki Uchida for trainer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Champagne Color finished a head in front of 18-1 Umbrail.

Poor post positions and wide trips have cost the Australian filly Doola Teela in recent starts.

As far as the draw goes, Doola Teela appears better positioned when she starts from post 3 in a field of nine in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse in Australia on Monday evening.

Frankie Dettori fell off Chaldean during a rough start to the Greenham Stakes on April 22. Saturday, Dettori came out the saddle with his famed flying dismount after Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket by 1 3/4 lengths over 125-1 shot Hi Royal.

By late January, Narnia showed signs of needing a rest in Australia.

The gelding won for the first time in his career in his fourth race last September, but was third, fourth, and 11th in his next three starts.

Narnia’s career resumes Sunday evening after a rest of more than three months in a modest handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Taree Racecourse, three hours north of Sydney.

Narnia, trained by Paul Shailer, will start for the second time at Taree. In January, Narnia was 11th of 14 in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Taree.