Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, March 04, 2026)

By Paul Ryding

Stormy Grove delivered a sensational run at long odds to score an upset and claim the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic series, the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 March).

Ridden by Harry Bentley, the son of Toronado made it two wins in a row and landed the Hong Kong Classic Cup with a performance reminiscent of his explosive 1600m showing at Sha Tin two weeks ago, when, after being drawn 14, he surged from last to first to claim his first Hong Kong win.

Very Romantic, yes, but not a whit of drama Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, where Romantic Warrior overwhelmed five foes in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup.

No horse in Hong Kong can touch Romantic Warrior save, perhaps, Ka Ying Rising, who just last weekend won his 18th race in a row, but Ka Ying Rising’s brilliance extends to only seven furlongs, while Romantic Warrior rules the middle-distance division. He won the 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Gold Cup by four lengths despite jockey James McDonald asking the great gelding for next to nothing through the homestretch.

Rebel’s Romance scored a measured 1 1/2-length victory, the 21st of his epic career, in the Dubai City of Gold Stakes on Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.

The performance puts Rebel’s Romance on target to make his fourth start in the $6 million Sheema Classic, where he was seventh in 2023, first in 2024, and fourth a year ago. Rebel’s Romance, an 8-year-old trained for Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, twice has won the Breeders’ Cup Turf and finished second in North America’s most important grass race this past November.

Autumn Glow stretched her unbeaten record to double digits with a smart-looking win in Saturday’s Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

Ridden by James McDonald, Autumn Glow closed from fourth with a wide rally to reach the front in the final furlong. A Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old filly, Autumn Glow (who paid $2.40 in American pools) won by slightly less than a half-length over 11-1 Aeliana in a field of nine.

Paul Lally:
R1 8-1-12-2
R2 3-7-1-14
R3 2-8-5-11
R4 11-2-3-8
R5 5-6-3-12
R6 3-2-4-10
R7 1-2-5-4
R8 6-4-2-3
R9 7-2-1-11
R10 2-3-1-12
R11 9-11-1-8
Best Bet: R6 N3 Galactic Voyage
Longshot: R9 N7 Patch Of Cosmo
Play: Race 5 QQP 3-5-6

By Paul Ryding

The world’s leading jockey, James McDonald, says globetrotting champion Romantic Warrior feels as good as ever and has maintained his enthusiasm and competitive edge into his eighth year.

As he prepares to travel to Hong Kong for Sunday’s (1 March) HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin, McDonald revealed connections were pleased with the Acclamation gelding’s preparation for the showdown with last season’s Triple Crown winner, Voyage Bubble.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) today announced a significant initiative in the Club’s global racing engagement, confirming its first-ever participation with a dedicated team at the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday, 8 August, at Ascot Racecourse. The 25th running of the world‑renowned top-class jockeys’ competition will, for the first time, be staged under the World Pool banner, further enhancing its international appeal.

There is, in fact, one superstar racing on the so-called Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse, and Rebel’s Romance takes a backseat to only a select few when it comes to international reputation.

The filly Blanc de Blanc maintained her perfect record after two starts with a three-length win in Friday’s $47,200 Patton Race at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland, part of the European-Middle East Kentucky Derby qualifying series.

Ridden by Donagh O’Connor, Blanc de Blanc stalked stablemate Flanker Jet before taking the lead with more than a furlong remaining in the one-mile race.

Blanc De Blanc was not urged in the final strides. She paid $5.40 as the favorite in American pools in a field of nine.