Paul Lally:
Race1 3-9-2-6
Race2 11-1-5-4
Race3 2-5-3-11
Race4 2-5-1-9
Race5 2-7-3-5
Race6 10-1-9-3
Race7 6-1-7-3
Race8 8-1-4-6
Race9 11-2-3-6
Best Bet Race 3 2 What A Legend
Longshot Race 8 8 Baby
Play Race8 QQP 1 4 8
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
Mark McNamara:
Considering Vulpine’s record earlier this year, she should be competitive in a five-furlong handicap at Grafton Racecourse in Australia on Thursday.
Vulpine, a 4-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere, won the sixth start of her career in a maiden race at five furlongs at Kembla Grange Racecourse in May, her first start since January. In June and July, Vulpine made three more starts, winning a five-furlong handicap at Gosford Racecourse during that span in July.
The irregularly shaped, undulating oval at Happy Valley Racecourse is not for every horse, but it might have been just what Amazing One Plus needed.
After two poor showings this Hong Kong season at Sha Tin Racecourse, Amazing One Plus made his Happy Valley debut on Oct. 14 and reversed his disappointing form. Last of 12 much of a one-lap, 1,650-meter Class 2 handicap, Amazing One Plus powered home to finish third while part of a win photo, making his 64-1 odds look silly.
Irish legend Jim Bolger bred Saturday’s winner of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France and trained the winner of the Group 1 Vertem Futurity in England.
At Doncaster, Mac Swiney slogged his way through heavy ground that led to the defection of antepost favorite Wembley and won the Vertem Futurity by three-quarters of a length over strong favorite One Ruler.
Sir Dragonet, an Irish-bred colt who was second in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland in the summer, made a splashy Australian debut with a victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne.
The victory led to significant changes in future-book betting for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 3. While Tiger Moth remains the favorite at generally 5-1, Sir Dragonet and Surprise Baby are now joint 9-1 second choices, slightly ahead of Anthony Van Dyck at 10-1.
Contrail will take an unbeaten record into Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger for 3-year-olds at Kyoto Racecourse, his final start against his own age group.
With six wins in as many races, Contrail will be a massive favorite to complete a sweep of the Japanese Triple Crown, having won the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in his 2020 debut in April, and the Grade 1 Japanese Derby in May.
Mighty Giant isn’t quite as big as he used to be, and he has a large challenge in front of him, a gelding named Sky Field, in the featured 10th race Saturday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
Phaistos, the 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, ran as well as could be expected in the Weekend Hussler Handicap at Caulfield Racecourse on Oct. 10 in Melbourne, finishing three-quarters of a length behind heavily favored Windstorm in a field of eight.
Phaistos will start favored in Sunday’s $142,000 Sale Cup at a mile at Sale Racecourse. Windstorm is not part of the field, having finished fifth in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes on Oct. 17 at Caulfield.
