Sha Tin Selections

(Sunday, October 24, 2021)

This has been a year of Group 1 appearances in Australia for the 6-year-old gelding Savatoxl, who began his career in 2018 and 2019 at tiny racecourses in Alice Springs and Darwin.

Savatoxl won the Group 1 Goodwood Stakes at six furlongs at Morphettville Racecourse, near Adelaide, on May 15, and the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at six furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne on Oct. 9.

Savatoxl will have his debut at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne in Friday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes at six furlongs.

Verry Elleegant, the reigning Horse of the Year in Australia, was the 5-1 third choice in the middle of the week for Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate, and with good reason.

The 6-year-old Verry Elleegant has not performed like a champion in advance of a start in the $3.74 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne.

Paul Lally:

R1 2-8-7-4
R2 1-2-6-3
R3 1-12-3-5
R4 5-6-1-10
R5 2-6-9-7
R6 3-2-9-4
R7 4-7-8-2
R8 2-5-6-11
R9 6-7-5-3

Best Bet R9 N6 Fa Fa
Longshot R7 N4 Lucky Archangel
Play R9 QQP 5-6-7

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 2-7-8-5
R2: 3-8-1-2
R3: 6-3-1-5
R4: 4-7-6-5
R5: 2-10-9-7
R6: 3-2-4-9
R7: 7-8-5-9
R8: 6-2-4-11
R9: 5-6-7-12

Best: R5 N2 Red Majesty
Each/way: R9 N5 Parterre
Play: R5 Q/QP 2-9-10

A switch to longer races at Happy Valley has brought forth improved performance this Hong Kong season from Meaningful Star, who will try for his second straight win in one of the triple-features on Wednesday in Hong Kong.

The Group 3 Geelong Cup at Geelong Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday is a vital race for Melbourne Cup hopeful Tralee Rose.

As of Monday, Tralee Rose was 25^th on the list of candidates for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 2, a race limited to 24 runners. While there will be numerous changes in the prospective field for the Melbourne Cup in coming weeks, a win by Tralee Rose in the $296,720 Geelong Cup at 1 1/2 miles would certainly enhance her chances of gaining a berth in the race.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, October 20, 2021)

Akaitorino Musume was a Grade 3 winner at a mile in her stakes debut in Japan in February. Longer races have defined her career in recent months.

In May, Akaitorino Musume was second in the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse. On Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse, Akaitorino Musume was the upset winner of the Grade 1 Shuka Sho, a $1.7 million race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles.

Smuggler’s Bay won the first two starts of his career in Australia in May by setting the pace, a style that may be tested in a five-furlong handicap at Orange Racecourse in the New South Wales countryside on Tuesday.

A 4-year-old gelding, Smuggler’s Bay is part of a field of eight that includes a few other runners who tend to run near the front. This will be the first start for Smuggler’s Bay since he finished third as the 1-2 favorite in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Bathurst Racecourse on June 8, racing in third early before losing by a little more than a length.

The 5-year-old mare Arriva Diva was winless in two starts in 2019 at Ellis Park in Kentucky.

She is a completely different runner in Australia.

Arriva Diva, a three-time winner in Australia this year, will be favored to win again in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Mornington Racecourse near Melbourne on Monday.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Arriva Diva, by Curlin, tends to run near the front and used that style successfully in a seven-furlong handicap at Echuca on Oct. 1, her second start after a six-month layoff.