Lugging high weight assignments around Rockhampton Racecourse in Australia has been common of late for the speedy gelding Master Jamie.

Master Jamie was second by a nose while carrying 140 pounds in a handicap at 5 1/4 furlongs on Nov. 5, and second by three-quarters of a length in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs while carrying 139 pounds on Nov. 21.

On Monday, Master Jamie will have his 17th career start at Rockhampton, where the 5-year-old is based with Graeme Green. This time, Master Jamie will carry 139 pounds due to the presence of apprentice jockey Tessa Townsend.

Water Navillera, unbeaten in three starts, can clinch the title of champion 2-year-old filly in Japan with a victory in Sunday’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin Racecourse near Osaka.

Water Navillera won the Grade 3 Kyoto Sho Fantasy Stakes at seven furlongs at Hanshin on Nov. 6 in her stakes debut, racing near the front throughout. Water Navillera is likely to have a forward position in the $1.1 million Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at a mile.

Wet weather in Australia has forced the transfer of Sunday’s program at tiny Armidale Racecourse to Tamworth Racecourse about 55 miles to the southwest. 

The feature race on the eight-race program remains the Armidale Cup, which was scheduled for 1 3/16 miles at Armidale but will be run at a mile at Tamworth.

A new venue and a new distance should not affect Beckford, a leading contender along with Point Counterpoint, Battle Guardian, and Reposition.

Stablemates Ellsberg and Steely will be the first two choices in a crowded field of 20 in Saturday’s Group 2 Villiers Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.

Trained by the team of Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Ellsberg and Steely meet for the first time in a race in which they both are expected to be a factor following recent wins.

Last month at Del Mar, a pair of Japan-based horses won two Breeders’ Cup races, the first time a horse from Japan had won at the Breeders’ Cup. Five weeks later, Japanese horses have a serious chance to win all four Group 1s on the Hong Kong International Races card Sunday at Sha Tin.

You never truly know how a horse, even a top horse, will come back from a long layoff. Golden Sixty, the best Thoroughbred in Hong Kong returned with a vengeance.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, December 12, 2021)

Last Saturday, the veteran Australian gelding Niccanova was third by slightly less than a length in the Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes at Doomben.

Friday, Niccanova is entered in the $93,275 Brisbane Handicap at about a mile at Doomben in what will be the quickest turnaround of his career, but a situation far from unprecedented.

Group 1-winning trainers Frederic Rossi, Cedric Rossi, and Charley Rossi were among 15 people taken into French police custody Tuesday, according to multiple published reports in France and England. The arrests took place in Marseille and Paris as part of an investigation into doping and forgery, the reports said.  

Paul Lally:

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

Best Bet R9 N12 Fa Fa
Longshot R5 N5 Viva Hunter
Play R5 qqp 5-9-10

Tom Wood:

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