The speedy gelding In the Boat won his stakes debut as the even-money favorite in the Abell Stakes at six furlongs at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia on March 18.
A 4-year-old, In the Boat has a chance for another first when he starts in a competitive field of 15 in Friday’s Country Discovery Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Sale Racecourse. This is the first running of the Country Discovery Stakes, which is worth $370,750.
Norman, the 4-year-old Australian gelding, performed as expected when he won a maiden race in his debut at Newcastle Racecourse on March 26. Norman was the 8-5 favorite and closed from fifth to win a race at 6 3/4 furlongs by slightly less than a half-length.
Thursday at Wyong Racecourse, Norman will have his first start against winners in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. Again, Norman is rated among the leading chances in a big field, but faces runners with more experience and equally promising performances in their last starts.
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 2-8-10-5
R2: 5-2-10-8
R3: 7-4-3-11
R4: 3-9-2-6
R5: 4-2-6-12
R6: 2-7-1-11
R7: 4-8-3-12
R8: 8-5-4-9
R9: 4-2-9-3
Best: R8 #8 Seizing The Moment
Each/way: R5 #4 Hardly Swears
Play: Q/QP R8 #4-5-8
Paul Lally:
R1: 2-8-11-9
R2: 10-5-2-4
R3: 4-3-7-2
R4: 5-7-6-11
R5: 5-6-2-11
R6: 9-7-8-5
R7: 4-12-7-5
R8: 2-5-8-9
R9: 4-6-2-9
Class 3 handicaps at Happy Valley don’t typically include Hong Kong racehorses of more than modest ability, but Eason, who runs in just such a race Wednesday, might be all right.
Eason is one of a dozen horses entered in the last of nine races at Happy Valley, a Class 3 handicap carded at 1,200 meters and open to horses rated 80-60. The card closes with three Class 3s, with race 8 also carded at 1,200 meters and race 7 a 1,650-meter contest. First post is 6:45 a.m. Eastern with all the action available at DRFBets.com.
Norwegian Bliss needed seven weeks to compile a perfect record in four starts in Australia from late September to mid-November last year.
Favored in each race, Norwegian Bliss won at distances ranging from 5 1/2 to seven furlongs and as a pacesetter and stalker. Wednesday, Norwegian Bliss has her 2022 debut, and once again will be favored, in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs for Southern Hemisphere 3- and 4-year-olds at Hawkesbury Racecourse.
Stars on Earth overcame traffic issues in the stretch to record an upset win in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Hanshin Racecourse.
Stars on Earth ($29.80) closed from the middle of the field of 18 in the one-mile race to catch stretch leader Water Navillera, a 5-1 chance. Namura Clair (15-1) finished third, a half-length behind Stars on Earth, and a neck in front of fourth-place finisher Circle of Life, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2021 in Japan.
Washington Towers returned from a four-month rest to win a five-furlong handicap at Canberra Racecourse in Australia on March 30 for his fifth win in 18 starts.
The 5-year-old gelding has been equally effective in his second race following a layoff at times in recent years, making his appearance in a five-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Tuesday all the more intriguing.
Noble Yeats ended a six-race losing streak with an upset win in Saturday’s $1.3 million Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse in England, the final mount in the accomplished career of amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.
Noble Yeats ($95.40 in American pools) closed from the rear of the 40-horse field to take a prominent position in the final mile of the race at 4 5/16 miles over 29 fences. Noble Yeats challenged for the lead two fences from the finish and fought off a sustained challenge from 9-1 Any Second Now in the final quarter-mile to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
What happens when a horse is scratched from a race in North America? Bettors hardly can know. The specific reason for the scratch and how the horse is handled after it fall outside public view. Things are different in Hong Kong. Take Silver Express, the top-rated horse in the co-featured 10th race Sunday at Sha Tin.