HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, February 09, 2022) 

Recent success over longer distances may help Loving Cilla win for the fourth time in her career in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Hawkesbury Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.

A 5-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, Loving Cilla won a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on Jan. 26, the longest start of her 11-race career and her first victory in six races.

Loving Cilla closed from seventh in a field of eight to win by more than 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 favorite.

Victory Chuckle spent the month of January trying to replicate his maiden race win in December in Australia.

In one-mile handicaps, Victory Chuckle was second twice - beaten a neck at Kilmore on Jan. 11 and by the same margin at Wagga Wagga on Jan. 26. In both races, Victory Chuckle closed from well off the pace and was in his best stride in the final furlong.

The tactics are unlikely to change when Victory Chuckle starts in a one-mile handicap at Benalla Racecourse on Monday. Once again, Victory Chuckle rates as a contender in a field of nine.

Paul Lally:

R1: 2 10 8 1

R2: 10-8-5-1

R3: 2-5-10-11

R4: 3-1-6-4

R5: 2-7-10-11

R6: 4-8-1-3

R7: 10-4-6-8

R8: 12-9-4-1

R9: 3-5-11-1

R10: 2-6-3-5

Best Bet: R10 N2 Rise Brethren

Longshot: R5 N2 Baby

Play R10 QQP 2 3 6

Tom Wood:

R1: 4-3-5-2

R2: 10-8-9-6

R3: 5-1-2-4

R4: 6-3-4-1

R5: 7-1-6-4

R6: 1-3-4-8

R7: 10-4-6-2

R8: 12-9-4-2

R9: 11-3-5-4

R10: 3-6-8-9

The $106,100 Sovereign Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Launceston Racecourse in Australia on Sunday may develop into a showdown between undefeated stablemates Bella Beau and Jaguar Stone.

Both are from the stable of Adam Trinder, the leading trainer on the island of Tasmania, and are the only winners in the field.

A gelding, Bella Beau has started twice, winning two races at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hobart Racecourse – a maiden race on Dec. 29 and the Elwick Stakes on Jan. 23. In both races, Bella Beau raced near the front throughout.

The featured eighth race on a rare Sunday afternoon card at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong seems tailor-made for Explosive Witness.  

Explosive Witness prefers to lay in the weeds and make one big late run. He is the kind of horse helped by a strong pace that enervates the forward horses and can spread a field to open gaps where a deep closer can better operate. And this Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100-80 and carded over 1,000 meters around a bend is packed with early speed.  

Hot Rod Charlie looked just as good in the United Arab Emirates as he has in the United States, winning the Group 2, $350,000 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 by 5 1/4 lengths in what appeared to be an ideal prep for his main goal, the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 26. 

(Sunday, February 06, 2022) 

Sejardan was the surprise winner at 9-1 in the Group 3 Breeders’ Plate for 2-year-olds at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in October, closing from 11^th in a field of 13 to win more than a length.

The colt’s reputation has only grown since that victory.

Trained by Gary Portelli, Sejardan followed his debut with a win in the $737,500 Golden Gift Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Nov. 6, again closing from off the pace to reach the front in the final strides.

Celestial Doll and Unrestricted are in the midst of two-race winning streaks that will be sternly tested when they meet for the first time in a field of 12 in the Walcha Cup at tiny Walcha Racecourse in Australia on Friday.

Celestial Doll, a 4-year-old filly who has won 4 of 12 starts, and Unrestricted, a 5-year-old gelding who has won 5 of 20 starts, will lead the betting, but will meet tougher competition than in their last races.

Considering the way they each won, another victory remains possible in the Walcha Cup, run at about 7 1/4 furlongs.