An all-important prep race over the course may provide a winning boost for Sweet Ride in Sunday’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Canberra Racecourse in Australia.
A winner of 2 of 3 starts, Sweet Ride is the only runner in a field of 14 in the Black Opal to win at the course, having done so in an allowance race at five furlongs on Feb. 25. Sweet Ride closed from fourth in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
The final score was 23 to 5.
No, it was not a lopsided baseball result, but the number of Irish-trained winners versus the number of British-trained winners at the 28-race National Hunt Festival for chasers and hurdlers at Cheltenham Racecourse in the west of England last March.
In the 1990s and even into the early 2000s, Irish racing enthusiasts were satisfied if their team managed a winner or two daily. As recently as 2019, each country had 14 winners.
Paul Lally:
R1 6-2-5-1
R2 8-10-4-5
R3 5-3-6-1
R4 4-10-3-7
R5 1-13-12-2
R6 8-4-6-3
R7 8-9-2-7
R8 3-1-7-12
R9 8-2-9-1
R10 4-3-2-14
Best Bet R9 N8 Super Fortune
Longshot R2 N8 Mission Smart
Play R9 QQP 2-8-9
Mark McNamara:
R1: 6.1.5.3
R2: 2.10.12.4
R3: 11.3.5.2
R4: 14.4.10.5
R5: 1.2.12.13
R6: 8.3.6.4
R7: 8.1.2.9
R8: 13.8.1.3
R9: 6.9.8.12
R10: 3.2.14.4
Race 1: #5 Excellent Proposal, #6 Cheerful Days, #2 Healthy Happy, #4 Champion’s Way
Race 2: #8 Mission Smart, #1 Kung Fu Tea, #2 Apex Top, #4 Seize The Spirit
Race 3: #5 Whizz Kid, #11 Proud Dragon, #1 King Land, #2 Harmony Fire
Race 4: #2 Hang’s Decision, #4 Right As Rain, #5 Robot Warrior, #10 Eevee
Race 5: #8 Fantastic Show, #1 Brilliant Way, #2 General Winner, #12 Plikclone
Race 6: #1 Turin Warrior, #3 Packing Treadmill, #8 Fun N Glory, #2 Birdsville
Master Eight could not cope with a class rise to Group 1 competition while racing at level weights, but he could easily handle a class drop while getting a weight break in the co-featured seventh race Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Spanish Mission was third in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia last November, and a return appearance in that race at the end of this year is a long-term goal.
There is unlikely to be a race at that extended distance for Spanish Mission until November, but there are plenty of distance opportunities that fit the 6-year-old Kentucky-bred, notably Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington.
Lekvarte nearly ate her way to a win at Newcastle Racecourse in Australia on Feb. 28.
Closing from last through traffic, Lekvarte was surging to the front in the final strides when she tried to bite Catapult, who beat her by a short head.
The incident happened so close to the wire it is hard to determine whether it cost Lekvarte a victory. It did land Lekvarte on the stewards’ list for trying to savage another runner.
In his debut in August, the Australian 3-year-old Invernell was highly regarded, winning a maiden race at seven furlongs at Sale Racecourse.
Invernell was beaten in his next two starts, including an 11th of 12 in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in October, but rebounded to win his fourth start in a seven-furlong handicap at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Feb. 9.
R1 5-9-6-7
R2 6-8-10-3
R3 9-11-7-8
R4 2-5-9-10
R5 6-2-3-4
R6 1-5-11-8
R7 5-6-2-8
R8 6-5-1-10
R9 1-10-6-5
Best Bet R3 N9 See U Again
Longshot R7 N5 E Legend
Play 7 QQP 2-5-6
Mark McNamara:
R1: 5.6.4.7
R2: 8.6.4.3
R3: 7.4.3.11
R4: 2.9.10.3
R5: 6.2.3.5
R6: 5.1.3.4
R7: 7.6.3.5
R8: 5.6.1.9
R9: 1.8.6.10
Best R5 N6 Joyful Mood
Longshot R6 N10 Melbourne Hall
Play R6 Q/QP 1.5.10