Three-year-old Super Ten has run two big races this Hong Kong season while failing to produce top form on a consistent basis, but perhaps an equipment change has unlocked more predictable performance.
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Personal, a filly who starts against males in Saturday’s Group 1 South Australian Derby at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, is unlucky not to be a multiple stakes winner.
Last Saturday, Personal was beaten a half-length in the Group 1 Australian Oaks at 1 1/4 miles at Morphettville, closing from 15th in a field of 16 to miss catching the 60-1 longshot Media Award.
The Kentucky-bred gelding Yonkers has excelled in distance races in Australia this year, winning minor handicaps at 1 1/4 miles against quality fields at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney and Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.
A winner of 7 of 26 starts, Yonkers has yet to win a listed or group stakes. He finished fourth in the Mornington Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Mornington Racecourse on March 20.
As wacky as it may seem, a 48-hour turnaround between starts is not uncommon for Australian steeplechasers.
Bit of a Lad was second in Tuesday’s Brierly Chase at 2 1/8 miles at Warrnambool Racecourse, west of Melbourne, in his first start since July. Thursday, Bit of a Lad is rated among the top runners in the $296,815 Grand Annual Chase at 3 7/16 miles at Warrnambool along with Zed Em and Yensir.
Paul Lally:
R1 5-12-2-1
R2 3-1-2-8
R3 1-5-9-6
R4 10-1-12-6
R5 5-6-2-1
R6 11-7-1-5
R7 4-2-3-11
R8 5-10-7-8
R9 2-5-10-8
Best Bet R9 N2 California Rad
Longshot R8 N5 Special M
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Mark McNamara:
Guy Dragon has spent most of his 2020-2021 Hong Kong season racing at Sha Tin but has done all his winning at Happy Valley.
With four Sha Tin turf starts and one on the dirt track there, Guy Dragon has compiled a 5-0-1-1 record this season. At Happy Valley, where he starts Wednesday night in the featured ninth race, a 1,200-meter Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100-80, he has gone 2 for 2.
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Successful comebacks have been a frequent occurrence in the career of Great Again, an 8-year-old Australian-bred gelding who starts in Wednesday’s $116,445 Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool Racecourse west of Melbourne.
Great Again has won 10 of 26 starts and has won three times in his five-year career after a layoff. Wednesday, Great Again will start for the first time since a second in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap at six furlongs at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne last August.
The 4-year-old Chilean colt Succeso and 4-year-old Argentine filly Blue Stripe won Group 1 races in South America over the weekend to earn automatic berths to Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar in November.
The owners and trainers of both winners indicated they plan to send the stakes winners to the Breeders’ Cup this fall, the Breeders’ Cup said in a statement.