The four-time winner Nikau Spur is well-placed to add to his resume in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Australia on Monday.
Trained by the powerful team of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Nikau Spur finished a fast-closing third in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park on March 30, losing by a little more than 1 1/4 lengths in his first start since September.
Ask Victor More has had a flashy start to his 3-year-old campaign in Japan in recent months.
After winning an allowance race at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama Racecourse on Jan. 5, Ask Victor More beat 2021 champion 2-year-old male Do Deuce by a neck when they were first and second in the Grade 2 Deep Impact Kinen at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama on March 6.
The Australian gelding Lorente appears to be rounding into form at an ideal time in advance of Sunday’s Stawell Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Stawell Racecourse.
The distance is one that suits Lorente, who has won 4 of 12 starts, including two races at 1 1/4 miles.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Lorente has started three times at increasingly longer distances this year. On March 16 at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne, Lorente was third by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles.
Three-year-old races in England and France over the past week offered clues for spring Classics in both countries, while the hard-knocking French gelding Skaletti got back in the win column Sunday.
In England, Godolphin’s Native Trail ran his career record to five wins from five starts while remaining the antepost favorite for the 2000 Guineas on April 30 with a dominant April 13 victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 2-10-3-1
R2: 11-7-3-8
R3: 13-2-3-8
R4: 3-10-2-5
R5: 7-2-5-4
R6: 4-1-6-2
R7: 1-2-10-6
R8: 7-9-12-1
R9: 1-4-7-9
R10: 13-3-1-5
Best: R5 #7 Right As Rain
Each/way: R10 #13 Emerging
Play: Q/QP R10 1-3-13
Paul Lally:
R1 2-9-10-3
R2 7-11-8-1
R3 8-1-13-6
R4 2-3-10-5
R5 10-9-2-7
R6 4-1-6-10
R7 1-2-6-10
R8 6-9-4-8
R9 4-1-7-2
R10 3-1-2-4
A sleepy Saturday card at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong is a mere warm-up for next weekend’s major racing card.
The Group 1, $3.19 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2,000 meters, the Group 1, $2.55 million Champions Mile, and the Group 1, $2.55 million Champions Sprint headline racing on April 24 at Sha Tin. The program will unfortunately be diminished by a lack of international shippers owing to the difficult COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong.
Fireburn has scorched her way through the Australian 2-year-old division in recent months with stretch runs that have led to wins in three consecutive group races.
Saturday at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Fireburn can become the first horse to win the 2-year-old Triple Crown in a decade when she starts as an odds-on favorite in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at a mile.
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.
