The Australian gelding Leather Jacket Lew had the best results of his career last December and January, winning consecutive starts at 1 5/16 miles and 1 3/8 miles.

In shorter distances of seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles from February to as recently as last Saturday, Leather Jacket Lew was unable to replicate those wins.

A return to a distance race, and a drop in class from his last start, may help Leather Jacket Lew end the losing streak in a handicap at 1 9/16 miles at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on Thursday evening across American time zones.

Dolphina, Mehajir, and Midori Fuji, all last-race winners, will meet for the first time in a one-mile handicap at Gosford Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday evening across American time zones.

The lightly raced Mehajir, a winner of 2 of 4 starts, may hold a slight edge over her two talented rivals considering her recent wins and stalking style.

Trained by Nathan Doyle, Mehajir has won her last two starts – a maiden race at 7 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse on Sept. 29 and her debut against winners in a one-mile handicap at Kembla Grange on Oct. 13.

Mark McNamara:

R1: 5.3.1.9

R2: 2.13.7.9

R3: 1.2.11.12

R4: 6.7.3.4

R5: 10.3.9.4

R6: 3.5.4.2

R7: 6.3.2.12

R8: 2.8.11.5

R9: 6.1.3.12

Best Bet: R8 N2 Super Win Dragon

Longshot: R6 N3 Prosecco

Play: R6  Q/QP 3.4.5

Tom Wood:

R1:    9-1-6-10

R2:    2-7-4-14

R3:    1-12-2-7

R4:    6-4-7-3

R5:    3-2-1-9

R6:    11-4-5-2

R7:    7-6-5-2

R8:    2-7-8-5

R9:    6-1-3-10

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, October 26, 2022) 

Ask Victor More struggled in the first two races of the Japanese Triple Crown in the spring, but gave a record-breaking performance in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger at Hanshin Racecourse.

Ask Victor More ($9.90) ran 1 7/8 miles in course-record time of 3:02.40, finishing a nose in front of 12-1 Boldog Hos. Justin Palace (10-1) finished third, while 6-5 favorite Gaia Force could finish only eighth in a field of 18.

The previous course record was 3:02.50. The stakes record for the Japanese St. Leger is 3:01 from when the race was held at Kyoto Racecourse in 2014.

Walkin’talkin’ is the sort of gelding handy enough to lead or race near the front.

Those tactics will help apprentice jockey Julia Presits when she rides the 4-year-old Walkin’talkin’ in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse near Sydney, Australia, on Monday evening across American time zones.

Walkin’talkin’ won from a stalking position in a similar race at Hawkesbury on Sept. 22 in his first start in three months, racing near the front and winning by about a neck.

Anamoe won his fifth Group 1 race of 2022, and by far his most important, in Saturday’s $3.13 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, the country’s leading weight-for-age race.

Second in a controversial running of the 2021 Cox Plate, there was no drama this year that needed attention from track stewards.

It took a few starts, and a key barn change, before Visinari was successful in Australian racing earlier this year.

Visinari lost his first two races in the country last year when trained by Sam Kavanagh, but has won 4 of 6 starts this year for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. The current successful campaign includes Visinari’s Australian stakes debut in The Headquarters Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Oct. 1.

When the first two races of the Japanese Triple Crown were run in April and May, Gaia Force was only a maiden race winner. When the third race in the series is run on Sunday, Gaia Force will be the center of attention.

The $2.22 million Japanese St. Leger, run at 1 7/8 miles at Hanshin Racecourse, will be the Grade 1 debut for Gaia Force, who has won 3 of 5 starts. The colt, by Deep Impact, reached prominence with a win in the Grade 2 St. Lite Kinen at 1 3/8 miles at Nakayama Racecourse on Sept. 19, his graded stakes debut.

Saturday stakes racing in England and France is all about 2-year-olds as the European flat racing season winds to a close.