SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, February 20, 2022) 

Lazuli finished a good second in the Dubai Sprint at six furlongs on turf at Meydan on Jan. 28 in his first start since Saratoga and can easily improve from that performance in Friday’s Group 2 Blue Point Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Meydan.

Lazuli is a three-time sprint stakes winner on turf in England and was even sent last summer to Saratoga, where he finished seventh in the Grade 3 Troy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Theo Legion, the 4-year-old Australian gelding, has raced at a variety of smaller tracks in the state of New South Wales in 22 starts since the beginning of his career in January 2020.

He has found success at one venue – Quirindi Racecourse, about 175 miles north of Sydney. Theo Legion is perfect in three starts at Quirindi, a record that will be tested in Friday’s Quirindi Cup at a mile.

Freaky Freckles, a 5-year-old Australian-bred mare, is winless in three starts since a seven-furlong handicap at Goulburn Racecourse last August. The win in her not-too-distant past looks very important as Freaky Freckles returns to the same venue for a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on Thursday in her first start since September.

There are four Class 3 handicaps on the Wednesday card at Happy Valley, but only one of them, race 2, falls beyond the typical Happy Valley fare. 

Races over 1,000 meters, 1,200 meters, and 1,650 meters comprise the bulk of Happy Valley cards, but this is a 2,200-meter contest run around three turns. It drew nine entrants, several of whose connections surely have been awaiting this relatively rare opportunity at such a lengthy Happy Valley distance. 

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, February 16, 2022)

The team of Crystal Waters and jockey Winona Costin are tough to ignore in a seven-furlong handicap for fillies and mares on the infield Kensington track at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday.

Crystal Waters has won her last two starts, the most recent of which was a seven-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Jan. 22. Costin was aboard for that victory as well as a win by Crystal Waters in a seven-furlong handicap at Nowra Racecourse in October.

Race conditions may favor Fenech in a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.

The turf course is expected to be heavy, which should suit the 5-year-old Fenech. A winner of 4 of 12 starts, Fenech is winless in five starts since a win in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Taree Racecourse on soft turf last June.

La Pluie is an Australian 3-year-old filly with a promising future.

On Jan. 22, in her third race following a six-month layoff, La Pluie beat maidens in her fifth career start at 7 1/2 furlongs at Mornington Racecourse not far from Melbourne. The win has led to an appearance in a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Stony Creek Racecourse on Monday, her debut against winners.

There were some good performances Friday on the Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan, but nothing could rival the sight of Lord Glitters storming down the crown of the grass course, going last to first to win the Group 2, $180,000 Singspiel Stakes.  

Lord Glitters, you see, is a 9-year-old. Few racehorses stick around this long, fewer still perform competitively in races of any consequence, and a 9-year-old Group 2 winner is all but unheard of over the flat.