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.

Sealiway held off Dubai Honour for an upset victory in the Group 1, $1.2 million Champion Stakes on Saturday at Ascot, the featured race on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Favored Mishriff held a contending position in midstretch and had his chance but faded late to finish fourth, beaten one length by Mac Swiney, who was 1 1/2 lengths behind Dubai Honour. Adayar, second choice in the betting, raced too keenly disputing the lead with Addeybb, and tired finishing fifth, a trip similar to his performance two Sundays ago in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Nature Strip was Australia’s Horse of the Year for the 2019-2020 season, one of the most coveted honors in the sport. Now, Nature Strip can claim another milestone: winner of the $11.05 million Everest Stakes, the richest sprint in the world.

Nature Strip led throughout Saturday’s Everest Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in his third consecutive appearance in the lucrative race. Nature Strip was fourth in 2019 and seventh last year.

Baaeed, who began his career this past June, capped a perfect campaign Saturday at Ascot with a stirring neck victory over favored Palace Pier in the Group 1, $1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Paul Lally:

R1 8-1-3-5

R2 5-6-12-3

R3 8-7-2-1

R4 6-1-4-3

R5 5-6-9-12

R6 6-12-1-7

R7 5-9-3-10

R8 7-3-2-10

R9 2-13-9-14

R10 2-6-12-3

Best Bet R9 N2 My Sugar

Longshot R2 N5 Love Me more

Play R9 QQP 2-9-13

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 2-1-8-5

R2: 7-12-6-3

R3: 6-8-1-10

R4: 3-1-5-6

R5: 7-5-9-12

R6: 12-1-11-6

R7: 9-5-8-10

R8: 7-3-10-6

R9: 9-2-4-13

R10: 6-2-12-1

A pair of Group 3 handicaps highlight the best card of the young Hong Kong racing season, Sunday’s 10-race program at Sha Tin.

Race 6 is the Premier Bowl Handicap over 1,200 meters, which drew 12 entrants, and race 8 is the 1,600-meter Sha Tin Trophy Handicap, which also lured a dozen intended runners.

The races are stepping-stones toward the Hong Kong International Races in December. The Premier Bowl leads to the Hong Kong Sprint, the Sha Tin Trophy toward the Hong Kong Mile, and there are horses in both spots who could have a say in those Group 1s.

Sodashi, the rare white Thoroughbred, has a race record as stunning as her looks.

Sodashi has won 6 of 7 starts in Japan, where she was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020. Sodashi is a two-time graded stakes winner this year with an excellent chance for the 3-year-old filly title if she runs well in Sunday’s Grade 1 Shuka Sho at Hanshin Racecourse.

Someone will have a losing streak end in Sunday’s Horsham Cup at Horsham Racecourse in Australia.

None of the 10 runners won their last starts, notably Kings Full, the expected 2-1 favorite who is winless in 14 starts in the last 18 months. But two second-place finishes in his most recent races gives Kings Full every chance to reverse that trend in the Horsham Cup at 1 5/16 miles.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, October 17, 2021)

They saved the best for last in the European mile division this year.

The Group 1, $1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday on Champions Day at Ascot drew a blockbuster field likely stronger top to bottom than what the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile will attract next month, and at the heart of it is a first matchup between Palace Pier and Baaeed.