With the benefit of a recent prep race, Eagles Crag will start in the richest race of his career in Sunday’s $124,600 Swan Hill Cup at a mile at Swan Hill Racecourse.

Eagles Crag, a 5-year-old Irish-bred, is well-suited to the distance and well-drawn in post 2 in a full field of 14 for a potential fourth win in his eighth start.

Trained by Archie Alexander, Eagles Crag won 3 of 5 starts in 2021 and ended the season with a fifth in a field of 10 in a lucrative handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne last October.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, June 12, 2022)

It’s a good thing the Australian multiple stakes winner Ayrton is a handy horse.

A winner of 6 of 9 starts, Ayrton will start in the richest race of his career in Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, a $1,079,000 race at seven furlongs. The race has a maximum field of 18, with Ayrton set to start from an outside post.

With his ability to race as a stalker, Ayrton may be able to scoot forward in the run to the turn and avoid a wide trip.

Last year’s race

Winner: Reshoun

Jockey: W Buick

Trainer: Ian Williams

Owner: Dr Marwan Koukash

Age: 7 Weight: 9st 7lbs

Starting Price: 66/1

Season Form Figures: 0

Previous Best: 1st - Class 2 Handicap, Newbury (July 2020)

By Paul Jones

Triple Missile won five of his first 10 starts in the state of Western Australia from September 2020 to February of this year. The 4-year-old was relocated to the state of Victoria a few months ago, a transition that places the gelding in a tougher racing circuit.

On Friday, Triple Missile will have his third start in Victoria in the $107,900 Golden Topaz Handicap at six furlongs at Swan Hill Racecourse, well north of Melbourne.

Tom Wood:

R1: 8-2-3-1
R2: 5-8-3-7
R3: 3-2-5-1
R4: 2-4-7-6
R5: 2-6-4-1
R6: 4-1-12-7
R7: 1-2-5-4
R8: 1-11-3-7
R9: 6-4-1-11

BEST: R8 N1 BE READY (WIN)
VALUE: R7 N1 MIGHTY VALOR (EW)
PLAY: R7 QQP 1,2,5

Paul Lally:

R1 8-1-4-7
R2 9-5-12-7
R3 3-5-2-7
R4 4-5-1-7
R5 4-1-2-6
R6 4-1-12-7
R7 1-2-5-3
R8 1-7-10-11
R9 10-1-3-11

Best Bet R3 N3 Beluga
Longshot R9 N10 Wood On Fire
Play Race9 QQP 1-3-10

Last year’s race

Winner: Poetic Flare
Jockey: K J Manning
Trainer: J S Bolger
Owner: Mrs J S Bolger
Age: 3 Weight: 9st 0lbs
Starting Price: 7/2
Season Form Figures: 1162
Previous Best: 1st – Qipco 2000 Guineas (Group 1), Newmarket (May 2021)

By Paul Jones

Last year’s race

Winner: Oxted
Jockey: Cieren Fallon
Trainer: R A Teal
Owner: S Piper, T Hirschfeld, D Fish & J Collin
Age: 5 Weight: 9st 5lbs
Starting Price: 4/1
Season Form Figures: 723
Previous Best: 1st - Darley July Cup (Group 1), Newmarket (July 2020)

By Paul Jones

Last year’s race

Winner: Berkshire Shadow
Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Trainer: A M Balding
Owner: Berkshire Parts & Panels Ltd
Age: 2 Weight: 9st 1lbs
Starting Price: 11/1
Season Form Figures: 1
Previous Best: 1st - Class 4 Maiden, Newbury (April 2021)

By Paul Jones

Spendarella, who will be trainer Graham Motion’s sixth Royal Ascot starter, arrived in England on Tuesday after flying from Indianapolis.

Motion said Spendarella, her training overseen by his longtime assistant Alice Clapham, will take up residence at the International Stud in Newmarket in advance of her start June 17 in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes.

“That’s where we went with Sharing,” Motion said. “It’s a really level gallop on a quieter side of Newmarket.”