Group 1 races for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old milers highlight races at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne and Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in Australia on Saturday, races somewhat overshadowed by the presence of leading older horses in Group 2 races earlier on the programs.

At Flemington, the richest race on a nine-race program is the $732,500 Australian Guineas for 3-year-olds at a mile, which is led by Hitotsu and Profundo, Group 1 winners in October. They were 7-2 joint favorites in early betting on Thursday.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, March 06, 2022) 

It may be post time for the Group 3 Newmarket Handicap at Newcastle Racecourse in Australia on Friday before the favorite is determined in a field of 13.

As of Wednesday, runners such as Rock, Riodini, Special Reward, and Through the Cracks were floating around at 5-1 and 6-1 in early betting. Others such as Dajraan and Nimalee were slightly higher at 9-1, but have attractive credentials.

The 5-year-old mare Anatolian Charm will be closing through the stretch of a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Port Macquarie Racecourse in Australia on Thursday.

The uncertainty is whether her late kick will result in a third consecutive second- or third-place finish, and if she can end a seven-race losing streak.

Things may be working out beautifully for the Hong Kong connections of the New Zealand-bred 3-year-old gelding Lucky Sweynesse.  

Their horse scored an eye-catching debut victory Feb. 9 at Happy Valley, winning a Class 4 handicap over 1,200 meters by 2 1/4 lengths. That triggered a nine-point rating rise, from 52 to 61, from the Hong Kong Jockey Club handicapping team, which means Lucky Sweynesse runs back Wednesday night at Happy Valley carrying a very low weight while trying Class 3 competition for the first time.  

From April to August of last year, Corbulo won four times in England at distances ranging from a mile at Bath Racecourse to 1 5/16 miles at Chester Racecourse.

The versatility could serve Corbulo well when he has his Australian debut in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Corbulo has not raced since he finished fourth by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap on the synthetic track at Lingfield Park near London in late August.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, March 02, 2022)

The American horses that ran well on Saturday in Saudi Arabia appear likely to ship straight to Dubai for races on the March 26 Dubai World Cup card. The ones that did not are coming back home.

Eye Pea Oh needed a start on Jan. 22 before she won a maiden race in Australia on Feb. 13 in her second career appearance.

The difference was experience and race tactics.

Eye Pea Oh did not have an ideal start in a five-furlong maiden race at Kembla Grange Racecourse in her debut, but was sharper in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Nowra, leading throughout to win by about 1 1/4 lengths.

California Spangle, with a major assist from Zac Purton, led from start to finish in the $1.54 Hong Kong Classic Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin, hanging on for a one-length win in the second leg of the 4-year-old classic series.