The Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington Racecourse in March 2020 remains the career highlight of the millionaire Fifty Stars, a winner of 10 of 29 starts.
Fifty Stars had a February campaign this year geared for a return appearance in Saturday’s $1.15 million Australian Cup at 1 1/4 miles. The 6-year-old Australian-bred will be a slight favorite in a strong field of 17.
Three times in the 24-year history of the Dubai World Cup has the race’s winner exited a win in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, and it’s been a while. Dubai Millennium in 2000, Street Cry in 2002, and Electrocutionist in 2006 are the only horses to pull the double in the same year, and if there is a 2021 World Cup winner entered in this year’s renewal of the race, he is hard to find.
Bottega raced without success against excellent company in big-prize races in Australia last October and November.
Bottega was fifth in the $5.2 million Golden Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Oct. 31 behind Colette, who won the Group 2 Apollo Stakes on Feb. 13 in her next start.
Camp Rifle and Group Think dominated the betting when they were first and second by a neck in a one-mile handicap at Coffs Harbour Racecourse in Australia on Feb. 13.
The familiar rivals meet again on Thursday in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Port Macquarie Racecourse, and this time have a formidable foe in War Cat.
Those are three of the 12 runners in the fifth of eight races at Port Macquarie on a program that begins at 9:15 p.m. Eastern or 6:15 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Paul Lally:
R1 3-11-7-9
R2 9-7-12-3
R3 2-6-3-8
R4 12-1-7-2
R5 5-2-4-7
R6 1-4-6-11
R7 8-5-3-11
R8 1-4-10-3
R9 1-4-6-3
Best Bet R3 N2 Mercurial
Longshot R2 N9 Savvy Kingdom
Play R2 QQP 7-9-12
Mark McNamara:
R1 3.7.5.9
R2 12.7.3.2
R3 11.2.6.3
R4 8.12.1.7
R5 2.7.5.4
R6 1.12.6.4
R7 11.8.5.12
R8 5.4.11.6
R9 1.6.4.3
Best Bet R2 N12 Smiling Face
Longshot R7 N11 Hardly Swears
Play R9 Q/QP 1.4.6
Two sharp horses top the last of three Class 3 handicaps on the Wednesday card at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Savaquin and Sunny Star exit decisive wins at the class level and distance, 1,650 meters. Both are relatively lightly raced 4-year-olds whose best form still should be in front of them and who can reasonably be expected to hold their strong form.
Biometric has had nine starts since he won the Britannia Stakes at 28-1 at Royal Ascot in England in June 2019. The losing streak comprises three races in England later that year and six starts in Australia since last May.
Biometric was fourth, beaten about 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Carlyon Cup at a mile at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne on Feb. 6, missing second by three-quarters of a length.
