At distances around 2 1/2 miles, Allaho has been unbeatable since the beginning of 2021, the reason the 8-year-old will be an odds-on favorite to win Thursday’s Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse in England.
Trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins, Allaho has won four of his last five starts, with the wins at distances of 2 1/2 miles or 2 9/16 miles. The only loss in that span was a second in the two-mile Champion Chase at Punchestown Racecourse in Ireland last April.
Never Talk had a flashy start to her career in Australia, winning five of her first six races from May 2020 to January 2021. The last year has been the tricky part.
Never Talk is winless in her last 11 starts, but six of those were group stakes, including a second and two third-place finishes.
A little class relief may be appreciated when Never Talk starts in a seven-furlong qualifying race at Newcastle Racecourse on Thursday for the $360,200 Provincial Championship Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on April 9.
The Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at two miles at Cheltenham Racecourse on Wednesday is the second consecutive meeting between England’s Shishkin and Ireland’s Energumene.
They represent the best from both countries in two-mile chases, which is essentially the sprint division for jumpers.
There was little between them when they met for the first time in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at 2 1/8 miles at Ascot on Jan. 22, with Shishkin winning by a length as the 5-6 favorite but needing the extra furlong to catch Energumene, the pacesetter.
A nine-race Wednesday card at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong ends with three Class 3 handicaps, the last of them with a subtle if important distinction.
Races 7 and 8, both carded at 1,200 meters, are Class 3s for horses rated 80-60. Race 9, carded at 1,650 meters, is open to horses rated 85-60, a higher upper limit that allows three horses – Everyone’s Delight, Jumbo Fortune, and Tianchi Monster – into the field. Jumbo Fortune should be a very live runner despite having to carry 133 pounds, including jockey Joao Moreira.
Last June, Samoot finished second of 21 as the 5-1 favorite in the Sandringham Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Royal Ascot in England.
Nearly a year later, Samoot is quickly establishing a reputation as a filly to watch in Australia. Samoot won her debut in that country in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park on Feb. 25 and will be favored to win her second start in a seven-furlong handicap on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Wednesday.
The first time Honeysuckle was sent from Ireland to Cheltenham Racecourse in England, she won the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle in March 2020 to remain unbeaten in eight starts.
Last March, Honeysuckle extended her undefeated streak to 11 races with a win in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at two miles at Cheltenham, the most prestigious hurdle race of the track’s four-day National Hunt festival.
Tuesday, Honeysuckle will be an odds-on favorite to become the first mare to win two runnings of the $586,200 Champion Hurdle. A win would stretch her unbeaten record to 15 races.
A slow start and a wide trip cost Maui in a six-furlong handicap at Sale Racecourse in Australia last month in his first race in 11 months.
Eliminating either of those setbacks may result in a win for Maui in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Ballarat Racecourse on Tuesday.
It is obvious a stakes is a big deal when it has its own public holiday.
Monday is such a day in the state of South Australia in conjunction with the Group 2 Adelaide Cup at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.
The Adelaide Cup, run at two miles, drew a field of 15, led by Skelm, the winner of the Torney Cup at 1 9/16 miles at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne on Feb. 18 to end a two-race losing streak.
Trained by Terry Kelly, Skelm is the 127.8-pound highweight.
Lighthouse, a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs in 2020, won the first Group 1 race of her career in Saturday’s $441,600 Coolmore Classic for fillies and mares at 7 1/2 furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Ridden by Jason Collett for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Lighthouse ($7.50) closed from third with a quarter-mile remaining to take the lead in the final sixteenth, winning by about two lengths over 30-1 Mirra Vision.
Hinged (7-1) finished third, with 8-5 favorite Espiona only eighth of 12.