Tread Softly won a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Kyneton Racecourse in Australia in her debut on May 3, a performance that may translate favorably in her first race against winners in a six-furlong handicap for fillies and mares on the synthetic track at Pakenham Racecourse on Friday.

Tread Softly does not face a tough field and is expected to be a solid favorite. Of the other 10 fillies and mares, three are unaced on a synthetic track and seven are winless on the surface.

In her 2021 debut on May 2, Santa Barbara was well placed to win the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Newmarket, England, only to falter through the uphill run to the wire. Santa Barbara finished fourth by 1 1/4 lengths as the 5-2 co-favorite.

Bettors seem willing to forgive her loss in advance of Friday’s Group 1 Epsom Oaks, run at 1 1/2 miles at Epsom Downs, south of London. Once again, Santa Barbara will be favored over a track with a testing uphill finish.

Paul Lally:

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

Best Bet R3 N2 Island Shine
Longshot R8 N4 Stanley Park
Play Race3 QQP 2-3-6

Tom Wood:

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

Narrow losses in two recent races will make the 3-year-old Oakfield Arrow favored in a handicap for fillies and mares at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong Racecourse in Australia on Thursday, but a 4-year-old, Smart Success also brings attractive recent credentials to the field of 10.

Oakfield Arrow was second in a six-furlong handicap for fillies and mares at Newcastle on May 1, losing by a nose. On May 14, Oakfield Arrow was fifth, by a half-length, in a handicap against males at 6 1/2 furlongs, closing from ninth in a field of 14.

A return to Happy Valley should boost the win chances of Helene Wisdom Star, one of a dozen entrants in the nightcap Wednesday at Happy Valley in Hong Kong.

Separated by nine months, Bermadez won his first two starts in Australia with diverse styles last August and on May 12.

A 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, Bermadez led throughout a maiden race at 6 1/4 furlongs at Geelong Racecourse in August. In his return on May 12 at Pakenham, Bermadez closed from last of 11 to win a seven-furlong handicap by a short neck as the odds-on favorite.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, June 02, 2021)

Paul Lally:

R1: 1-8-2-6

R2: 6-2-4-10

R3: 6-2-7-1

R4: 3-2-5-11

R5: 1-3-2-12

R6: 4-7-12-1

R7: 9-11-8-10

R8: 11-8-10-12

R9: 3-1-11-7

R10: 8-1-13-14

Best Bet: R2 N6 Peach Blossoms

Longshot R8 N11 Fighting Star

Best Play R2 QQP 2-4-6

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 8-1-6-3

R2: 1-10-4-6

R3: 6-2-3-4

R4: 3-2-8-6

R5: 1-2-8-11

R6: 4-6-2-5

R7: 6-11-9-4

R8: 4-8-10-12

R9: 3-1-7-11

Trainer Caspar Fownes has found a sweet spot, Sunday’s Group 3, $450,000 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap at Sha Tin, for Sky Darci’s first start since winning the Hong Kong Derby on March 21.

The seven-furlong Arrowfield Country Cup at Scone Racecourse in Australia on May 14 was a little too tough for Highly Desired and Total Recall, who finished third and fifth in a field of 14, beaten a length and 3 1/2 lengths.

Those two are on the same schedule this month, reappearing as the two principal runners in Sunday’s Gunnedah Showcase Cup at a mile at Gunnedah Racecourse. They face familiar rivals. Of the 14 runners in the main body of the Gunnedah Showcase Cup, five others had their last start in the Country Cup at Scone.