SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Saturday, March 13, 2021)

Brookspire is one of the most lightly-raced fillies in Friday’s Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic at Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia, and a starter with ample promise.

Brookspire has had three starts, winning a maiden race in her second outing on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in December. In her lone start this year on Feb. 17, again on the Kensington course, Brookspire finished with interest to be third in a seven-furlong handicap against fillies and mares by 3 1/2 lengths.

Tacitus has sustained what appears to be a relatively minor injury but one that will keep him from racing March 27 in the Dubai World Cup.

Tacitus finished seventh, beaten more than 15 lengths, in the Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 and was shipped shortly thereafter to Dubai to prepare for the World Cup, which, at 1 1/4 miles around two turns rather than the one-turn 1 1/8 miles in Saudi Arabia, was thought to better fit his capabilities.

With consecutive group stakes wins in sprints in the last five weeks, Probabeel is in the best form of her already accomplished career – and among the favorites to win her richest race in Saturday’s $3.85 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.

The All-Star Mile field is determined by a vote of racing fans, and Probabeel’s consistency has put her at the top of the list of contenders. Trained by Jamie Richards of New Zealand, Probabeel has won 10 of 21 starts, including seven stakes in New Zealand and Australia.

The ultra-consistent gelding War Deck could easily be on a three-race winning streak in advance of a start in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse in Australia on Thursday.

Trained by John Bateman, War Deck was third by a neck in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Orange Racecourse in November, won a handicap at a mile at Nowra in December, and then was second by a nose in a handicap at a mile at Canberra on Jan. 13 in his lone start this year.

In each race, War Deck was favored and closed well from off the pace.

Paul Lally:

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

Best Bet R4 N8 Star Of Wuyi
Longshot R5 N3 Everyone’s Victory
Play R4 QQP 8-9-10

Tom Wood:

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

A trio of Class 3 handicaps round out a nine-race program on Wednesday at Happy Valley in Hong Kong, the most interesting of them race 8, a 1,200-meter sprint.

Archanna ran out of ground when she finished sixth of eight in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 13.

A 4-year-old filly, Archanna won two of her final three starts of 2020 in handicaps at 7 3/4 furlongs and 1 3/16 miles in September and October. Archanna is entered in a handicap at 7 3/4 furlongs on the infield Kensington course at Randwick on Wednesday, a distance that should be a better fit than her comeback race.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, March 10, 2021)

Paul Lally:

R1: 1-10-2-5

R2: 2-11-8-2

R3: 1-5-8-2

R4: 1-4-11-13

R5: 1-4-2-9

R6: 8-3-5-2

R7: 9-6-7-1

R8: 2-5-4-10

R9: 1-2-10-12

R10: 13-11-2-10

Best Bet: R9 N1 Flagship Glory

Longshot R8 N2 Mig Energy

Play QQP 2-4-5

Mark McNamara:

R1 – 2.4.11.1

R2 – 2.8.3.1

R3 – 1.5.2.3

R4 – 11.7.1.4

R5 – 8.2.1.9

R6 – 3.8.7.13

R7 – 6.7.10.2

R8 – 5.7.12.3

R9 – 6.10.1.8

R10 – 13.9.11.2

Best Bet – R5 N8 Vigor Champ