Harmony Victory rarely runs at Happy Valley, and stakes races rarely are run at Happy Valley, but the Group 3 January Handicap comes Wednesday night at Happy Valley and Harmony Victory appears to be in with a decent chance.
Get the Idea was beaten less than a half-length when he finished third in a handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Australia on Dec. 23. The result was better than it looked.
Get the Idea, who was 18-1, stalked favored Foxborough, who had an uncontested lead, and closed well on the rail.
Wednesday at Warwick Farm, Get the Idea starts in a similar race, but one that does not include Foxborough. The Dec. 23 race was run on soft turf, and heavy conditions are likely on Wednesday.
By Leo Schlink
John Size’s decision to bypass Hong Kong’s lucrative LONGINES Hong Kong International Races was vindicated handsomely when Champion’s Way ended an 18-month drought by snaring the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin this afternoon (Friday, 1 January).
Beaten by Hong Kong banner horse Golden Sixty at his three previous starts, Champion’s Way benefited from Size’s decision-making on Sunday when he was given a superb ride by Karis Teetan to down the luckless Sky Darci and Mighty Giant.
By Declan Schuster
Caspar Fownes’ chance with the lowly rated Explosive Witness (113lb) paid off at Sha Tin today (Friday, 1 January) as the Australian-bred exceeded expectations to snare the HK$3.5 million G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy Handicap (1000m).
“It’s magic when you get a winning result like that, you go in there hoping he’ll pick up some prize money for second, third or fourth but to win - it’s magic – well deserved for the owners,” Fownes said.
Shamusu Sho had the best span of his career from late March to late June, winning 3 of 5 starts in Australia. He has yet to recapture that form in recent races, but there are signs of improvement.
After a five-month break, Shamusu Sho has finished fourth and third in two sprint starts in handicaps in the last six weeks.
:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing
In the last two months, Truly Great has developed into a multiple group stakes winner in Australia by consistently handing longer distances.
A 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, Truly Great won his first Group 1 race in the Kingston Town Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Ascot Racecourse in Perth on Dec. 5 and followed two weeks later with a victory by 1 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite in the Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes at Ascot at 1 5/16 miles at Ascot.
Paul Lally:
R1 8-2-3-12
R2 5-4-1-2
R3 1-4-2-3
R4 3-1-2-9
R5 1-11-7-9
R6 3-8-4-1
R7 1-5-13-3
R8 8-4-7-3
R9 3-2-5-1
R10 5-13-14-10
R11 8-13-3-1
Best Bet R9 N3 California Rad
Longshot R2 N5 Cigary
Play R9 QQP 2-3-5
Mark McNamara:
R1 – 8.12.13.14
R2 – 4.2.11.6
R3 – 1.4.2.3
R4 – 3.2.6.5
R5 – 1.2.12.5
R6 – 8.3.1.4
R7 – 1.4.5.7
R8 – 3.4.7.8
R9 – 3.2.5.1
R10 – 5.13.1.2
R11 – 8.3.2.4
Winning Dreamer is unbeaten in six career starts but surely will be tested Friday at Sha Tin in the Group 3, $450,000 Chinese Club Challenge Cup.
That 1,400-meter race, the eighth of 11 on a special New Year’s Day card, shares top billing with race 3, the Group 3, $450,000 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy over a straight 1,000 meters. Both races are run as handicaps on a card that starts at 11:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, with live video and wagering available at DRFBets.com.
By Leo Schlink
Far from dismayed with Computer Patch’s recent 1200m form at elite level, Tony Cruz is banking on the former Australian galloper’s drop to 1000m for the G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy Handicap as a decisive change of approach.
Cruz has saddled Computer Patch in only five starts since inheriting the horse from John Moore for a win, two seconds, a fourth and a sixth. While the two runners-up efforts came at G2 level over 1200m, the sole victory this season was over 1000m.
For Cruz, the equation is simple.
