Paul Lally:
R1 4-2-6-1
R2 1-4-7-8
R3 7-2-4-12
R4 4-7-2-3
R5 11-2-1-3
R6 4-5-2-11
R7 7-3-1-2
R8 7-11-1-6
Best Bet R8 N7 War Of Courage
Longshot R5 N11 Yes we can
Play R5 QQP 1-2-11
Tom Wood:
R1: 2-6-4-1
R2: 1-7-3-5
R3: 1-2-7-12
R4: 2-4-3-7
R5: 2-1-13-11
R6: 5-1-8-2
R7: 9-7-10-2
R8: 1-6-7-11
BEST: R4 N2 AQUILA (WIN)
VALUE: R7 N9 GAMEPLAYER TIMES (EW)
PLAY: R4 QQP 2,3,4
Andrew Le Jeune:
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Hong Kong programming for a Wednesday card of dirt racing at Sha Tin.
The eight-race program kicks at 7:15 a.m. Eastern, which is standard, but the typical weekday card of turf racing at Happy Valley gives way to an evening of dirt competition at Sha Tin.
Also out of the ordinary: The feature comes early, race 2, a Class 2 handicap carded for 1,650 meters open to horses rated 105-80.
The task is simple. Amade must finish in the top three in Wednesday’s Group 3 Bendigo Cup at Bendigo Racecourse in Australia to have any chance of gaining a berth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 2.
Amade is currently outside of the top 24 horses in the handicap ratings that determine the final field. More importantly, Amade has yet to finish in the top three in a group-level stakes at 1 7/16 miles or farther since Feb. 1, 2020, which is part of eligibility for the two-mile Melbourne Cup.
Titleholder led by five lengths midway through Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger at Hanshin Racecourse.
While a bold move to take command of the race may have seemed dangerous, the tactic turned out to be a winning strategy.
Titleholder ($17.20) maintained the lead throughout to win the $2.38 million Japanese St. Leger by five lengths, showing that he had no difficulty with a new distance of 1 7/8 miles. The result was a turnaround from a troubled 13th-place finish in the Grade 2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse on Sept. 20.
Little River was beaten a nose in her debut against winners at Sunshine Coast Racecourse in Australia last January, a result that looked much better in the ensuing months.
Little River lost to Simply Fly, who won his next two starts, including a $388,250 race for Queensland-bred horses at six furlongs in March.
Since mid-April, the 5-year-old mare Unwavering Faith has won 3 of 6 starts in Australia at distances ranging from 7 1/2 furlongs to a mile. In each win, she closed from off the pace to take a late lead.
The style suggests Unwavering Faith will handle a longer distance, such as Monday’s Cessnock Cup at 1 5/16 miles at Newcastle Racecourse, north of Sydney. This is a new distance for Unwavering Faith, who has won 3 of 9 starts in her career for owner and trainer Nathan Doyle.
Paul Lally:
R1 7-1-4-9
R2 6-2-3-8
R3 5-6-12-7
R4 5-4-8-12
R5 8-1-3-11
R6 6-7-4-8
R7 7-11-2-4
R8 5-11-12-4
R9 3-11-9-4
R10 11-13-3-2
Best Bet R1 N7 Super Fortune
Longshot R10 N11 Sunshine Warrior
Play R1 QQP 1-4-7
Tom Wood:
R1: 1-7-4-14
R2: 8-6-5-3
R3: 5-13-12-3
R4: 8-6-13-12
R5: 8-1-3-11
R6: 6-9-1-8
R7: 3-8-7-11
R8: 5-4-6-12
R9: 3-11-4-9
State of Rest completed a unique double of stakes wins at Saratoga Racecourse in New York and Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, with a narrow victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia.
State of Rest ($14.80 in American pools) held off a sustained threat from 2-1 Anamoe to prevail by a short head in the $3.74 million race at about 1 1/4 miles.
State of Rest won the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles at 21-1 on Aug. 7 in his second start of 2021.
