HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, November 17, 2021)

Akai Ito led home a parade of longshots in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Cup on Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan.

Rallying from 13th in a 17-horse field, and making her big move around the final turn, Akai Ito collared the leaders about a furlong from the finish and went on to a two-length victory in the 1 3/8-mile Queen Elizabeth, which was restricted to fillies and mares.

Akaitorino Musume won her first Group 1 on Oct. 17 and might be favored to capture her second Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse in the $2.16 million Queen Elizabeth Cup.

The Queen Elizabeth, contested around right-handed turns at 1 3/8 miles, drew a field of 17 fillies and mares, several of which are stark longshots. Akaitorino Musume, a 3-year-old, as of Friday rated no worse than a close second choice at about 5-2 behind 4-year-old Lei Papale. Win Marilyn, listed at about 5-1, was the only other entrant priced at single digit win odds.

Knicks Go is the highest-rated Thoroughbred in the latest edition of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

Previously rated 124, Knicks Go’s mark was raised to 128 following his dominant victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. That rating just tops three European horses – 2021 Derby winner Adayar, 4-year-old colt Mishriff, and retired 3-year-old St Mark’s Basilica – in update rankings released Thursday by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, which convenes the global panel of racing officials who set these ratings.

Excellent Proposal began his 2020-21 Hong Kong racing season with a victory in a 1,400-meter Class 3 handicap at Sha Tin, and the fact the gelding launches his 2021-22 campaign in a 1,400-meter Class 1 handicap, the featured seventh race Saturday at Sha Tin, shows the progress Excellent Proposal made last season.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Saturday, November 13, 2021)

St Mark’s Basilica has won the Cartier award as European Horse of the Year for 2021, one of two Cartier Award winners and three awards for Ireland-based trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore operation for which he trains.

Coolmore and O’Brien’s second Cartier winner this year is Snowfall, named champion 3-year-old filly when the Cartier Awards were announced Wednesday in England.

Earlier this year, the former British-trained gelding Zaaki soared through the Australian older horse division, winning six stakes, including three Group 1 races.

Zaaki is trained by Annabel Neasham, who has another British import to follow in Top Ranked. Saturday, Top Ranked will have his Australia debut in the $733,500 The Hunter Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse north of Sydney.

The 5-year-old Australian gelding Oamanikka was overmatched in a seven-furlong handicap on the undercard of the Melbourne Cup program at Flemington on Nov. 2.

A little more than a week later, Oamanikka is well suited to the conditions of the Snake Gully Cup at seven furlongs at Gundagai Racecourse on Friday.

Trained by Donna Scott, Oamanikka has won 5 of 13 starts. On Nov. 2, he finished ninth by eight lengths at 25-1 against a tougher class of runners than in his preceding races.

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

Best Bet R8 N12 My Ecstatic
Longshot R9 N8 Sergeant Pepper
Play Race8 QQP 2-5-12

Mark McNamara:

R1 11.1.4.3
R2 11.3.4.7
R3 3.2.10.1
R4 4.8.5.1
R5 1.4.3.7
R6 6.1.8.2
R7 3.7.12.8
R8 9.4.1.3
R9 2.8.7.3

Best R3 N3 Joyful Win
Longshot R8 N9 Telecom Smart
Play R3 Q/QP 2.3.10