Paul Lally:
R1: 7-3-9-1
R2: 4-10-2-5
R3: 2-5-3-6
R4: 2-5-3-13
R5: 5-4-2-9
R6: 1-10-2-8
R7: 2-10-13-5
R8: 1-2-9-10
R9: 10-1-2-3
R10: 2-14-1-12
Best Bet: R7 N2 Beauty Champ
Longshot: R5 N5 Scotch Tycoon
Play Race7 qqp 2-10-13
Mark McNamara:
R1: 7.1.9.4
R2: 7.4.5.10
R3: 5.4.2.3
R4: 2.5.3.11
R5: 9.4.2.3
R6: 6.1.2.5
R7: 2.13.1.4
R8: 1.5.2.4
R9: 1.2.3.10
The featured third race Monday at Sha Tin could open a window onto the 2022 Hong Kong Derby.
This Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100-75 is carded at 2,000 meters, about 1 1/4 miles and the same distance as the Hong Kong Derby, the culminating event in the 4-year-old classic series. Scheduled for March 20 next year, the Derby follows the Classic Mile over 1,600 meters and the Classic Cup at 1,800 meters.
Efforia’s consistency puts him at the fore of a field of 16 in Sunday’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen at 1 9/16 miles at Nakayama Racecourse. The $5.02 million Arima Kinen consists of a field partially determined by a vote of fans and brings together many of Japan’s leading horses.
The ultra-consistent Efforia has lost once in six starts in Japan, finishing a nose behind Shahryar in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby in May.
Yardstick, the 4-year-old Australian gelding, has been ambitiously campaigned at times in his career, running poorly in a Group 1 race last year and finishing seventh in the South Pacific Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in April.
Yardstick has not raced since he finished fifth of 10 in a six-furlong handicap at Randwick in July that included several runners with multiple wins.
For his comeback, Yardstick has been given an easier assignment – a six-furlong handicap for nonwinners of two races at Gosford Racecourse on Thursday.
Paul Lally:
R1 1-10-7-11
R2 3-7-11-5
R3 4-5-3-1
R4 3-1-6-2
R5 11-9-10-12
R6 9-11-3-5
R7 11-5-3-8
R8 4-9-5-6
R9 12-7-8-3
Best Bet R6 N9 Lucky Archangel
Longshot R5 N11 Swot Troopers Wind
Play R5 9-10-11
Tom Wood:
R1:7-1-10-3
R2: 6-3-2-5
R3:9-4-1-3
R4:3-8-6-7
R5:9-1-10-6
R6:2-5-9-4
R7:5-2-3-11
R8:11-9-4-5
R9:1-12-11-7
BEST: R4 N3 SAVVY KINGMAN (WIN)
VALUE: R7 N5 STOCK LEGEND (EW)
PLAY: R4 QQP 3,6,8
On April 5, 2020, Voyage Warrior posted a front-running victory at odds of 23-1 in the Group 2 Sprint Cup. Voyage Warrior was lightly raced and looked progressive, a seemingly interesting addition to the Hong Kong sprint-stakes ranks.
Rule of Law seemed to appreciate a gap of more than nine months between races when he recorded an expected win in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney, Australia earlier this month.
Sent off as the 4-5 favorite on Dec. 1, Rule of Law was always near the front and won by slightly more than 1 1/4 lengths for his third victory in his seventh start.
Do Deuce claimed the title as Japan’s outstanding 2-year-old male of 2021 with a half-length win over Serifos in Sunday’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at a mile at Hanshin Racecourse.
The $1.19 million Asahi Hai Futurity is rated as the championship race for the division.
Do Deuce, ridden by Yutaka Take, remained unbeaten in three starts with Sunday’s win, closing from a position in the middle of a field of 15. Do Deuce caught stretch leader Serifos with strides to spare.
