Chantrea won her first six races in Western Australia, including consecutive minor stakes in July 2020. Subsequent months have not gone as well.
Chantrea is winless in seven races, a span that includes four second- and third-place finishes. Chantrea did not race from last May until Jan. 15, when she finished a good second in a one-mile handicap at tiny Camperdown Racecourse southwest of Melbourne.
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-2-7-8
R2: 7-1-5-8
R3: 7-12-1-9
R4: 3-2-5-11
R5: 1-9-5-2
R6: 5-8-9-11
R7: 5-4-2-10
R8: 3-2-8-6
R9: 3-5-1-4
Best Bet: R5 N1 Xponential
Longshot: R6 N5 Namjong Sings
Play R5 QQP 1-5-9
Tom Wood:
R1: 1-2-7-5
R2: 5-1-3-2
R3: 1-7-12-2
R4: 8-3-6-7
R5: 9-1-2-5
R6: 8-11-1-7
R7: 6-5-4-2
R8: 8-6-2-1
R9: 3-11-2-6
Jockey Zac Purton won five races Sunday at Happy Valley and appears to be sitting on a live mount in Wednesday’s first race. Trainer Clifford Shum won three races on the Sunday program at Happy Valley and has a capable entrant in the Wednesday nightcap.
Both races are Class 3 handicaps for horses rated 80-60, the last race carded at 1,650 meters, the lidlifter at 1,000 meters. There’s a third race at the same class level, race 6, to be contested at 1,200 meters.
Last July, Bethencourt finished second in three consecutive handicaps in Australia, always finishing within two lengths of the front.
Those close finishes loom prominently in Bethencourt’s form in advance of a seven-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney on Wednesday.
Trained by Kim Waugh, Bethencourt has not raced since finishing 10th of 15 in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Kembla Grange in mid-August. He then had a layoff of slightly less than six months.
Recent success over longer distances may help Loving Cilla win for the fourth time in her career in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Hawkesbury Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.
A 5-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, Loving Cilla won a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on Jan. 26, the longest start of her 11-race career and her first victory in six races.
Loving Cilla closed from seventh in a field of eight to win by more than 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 favorite.
Victory Chuckle spent the month of January trying to replicate his maiden race win in December in Australia.
In one-mile handicaps, Victory Chuckle was second twice - beaten a neck at Kilmore on Jan. 11 and by the same margin at Wagga Wagga on Jan. 26. In both races, Victory Chuckle closed from well off the pace and was in his best stride in the final furlong.
The tactics are unlikely to change when Victory Chuckle starts in a one-mile handicap at Benalla Racecourse on Monday. Once again, Victory Chuckle rates as a contender in a field of nine.
Paul Lally:
R1: 2 10 8 1
R2: 10-8-5-1
R3: 2-5-10-11
R4: 3-1-6-4
R5: 2-7-10-11
R6: 4-8-1-3
R7: 10-4-6-8
R8: 12-9-4-1
R9: 3-5-11-1
R10: 2-6-3-5
Best Bet: R10 N2 Rise Brethren
Longshot: R5 N2 Baby
Play R10 QQP 2 3 6
Tom Wood:
R1: 4-3-5-2
R2: 10-8-9-6
R3: 5-1-2-4
R4: 6-3-4-1
R5: 7-1-6-4
R6: 1-3-4-8
R7: 10-4-6-2
R8: 12-9-4-2
R9: 11-3-5-4
R10: 3-6-8-9
The $106,100 Sovereign Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Launceston Racecourse in Australia on Sunday may develop into a showdown between undefeated stablemates Bella Beau and Jaguar Stone.
Both are from the stable of Adam Trinder, the leading trainer on the island of Tasmania, and are the only winners in the field.
A gelding, Bella Beau has started twice, winning two races at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hobart Racecourse – a maiden race on Dec. 29 and the Elwick Stakes on Jan. 23. In both races, Bella Beau raced near the front throughout.
The featured eighth race on a rare Sunday afternoon card at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong seems tailor-made for Explosive Witness.
Explosive Witness prefers to lay in the weeds and make one big late run. He is the kind of horse helped by a strong pace that enervates the forward horses and can spread a field to open gaps where a deep closer can better operate. And this Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100-80 and carded over 1,000 meters around a bend is packed with early speed.