Golden Sixty is within touching distance of status as the world’s premier miler based on the 2020 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR), released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on Tuesday, 26 January, as nine of Hong Kong’s elite races featured in the World’s Top 100 G1 Races last year.
Tony Cruz will aim to add further lustre to his extraordinary BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) record after Delightful Laos emerged as a potential classic contender with victory in the Class 2 Chater Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday (27 January).
Crowning a dominant night for Cruz, former Irish galloper Delightful Laos will now be set for the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) – the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – at Sha Tin on 21 February.
After shockingly easy wins in her first two races this past July and August, Stunning Beauty returns to action Thursday at Meydan in the Group 2, $163,000 Cape Verdi Stakes.
The Cape Verdi, over 1,600 meters on turf and restricted to fillies and mares, is the featured fourth race on a six-race program, second card of the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
Stunning Beauty, Frankie Dettori named to ride, is one of five Godolphin entrants – three for trainer Saeed bin Suroor, including Stunning Beauty, and two for trainer Charlie Appleby – in the nine-horse Cape Verdi.
Kozluca was a well-regarded first-time starter when the Australian-bred gelding closed from fifth in a field of 12 to win a seven-furlong maiden race at Eagle Farm Racecourse on Jan. 14.
A repeat performance is widely predicted in Kozluca’s debut against winners in a seven-furlong handicap on Thursday at Eagle Farm, located in Brisbane, Australia.
Mark McNamara:
R1 - 11.5.6.2
R2 - 3.10.5.2
R3 - 2.7.11.3
R4 - 4.9.3.5
R5 - 11.5.4.3.
R6 - 7.4.3.9
R7 - 4.8.12.1
R8 - 9.4.2.8
R9 - 3.1.5.8
Best bet R3 2 Jazz Steed
Long shot R5 11 Carry the Diamond
Play R3 FCT 2.7
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Paul Lally:
Ghaiyyath was crowned the Longines World’s Best Racehorse on Tuesday, his official international rating of 130 the best in the world during 2020.
Frankie Dettori was named Longines World’s Best Jockey in a virtual ceremony emanating from London, where the awards are annually hosted.
By Declan Schuster
Fresh off Group 1 success and a treble on Sunday (24 January) at Sha Tin, Hong Kong’s leading jockey Joao Moreira is looking to keep his momentum rolling in his bid for a fourth jockeys’ championship.
Moreira has 15 wins through January and 75 this season after nailing a treble and his third consecutive G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) triumph two days ago, and he leads the title race by 23 ahead of great championship rival Zac Purton (52 wins).
In Hong Kong racing, sometimes being at the bottom can help you get to the top.
That’s the intention of a racing jurisdiction functioning under a handicap system: Create competitive races by weighing down the more accomplished horses in a given contest.
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Gunaluva did not have a pleasant journey around Kembla Grange Racecourse in Australia on Jan. 16. In a handicap at 1 1/2 miles, Gunaluva raced three wide for most of the race without cover and finished sixth, beaten about 2 1/2 lengths.
With any luck, Gunaluva could have finished in the first three.
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