A trio of Class 3 handicaps at varying distances caps an eight-race card Wednesday at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.
All are for horses rated 80-60 with race 6 carded at 1,000 meters, race 7 at 1,800 meters, and race 8 at 1,200 meters.
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
First post for the card is 7:15 a.m. Eastern. You can bet and watch at DRFBets.com.
King Magnus won consecutive starts in handicap races in Australia in November by stalking the pace and taking the lead in the final furlong.
King Magnus was an 18-1 winner by a nose at Pakenham Racecourse on Nov. 12 and a 20-1 winner by 1 1/4 lengths on the Lakeside course at Sandown Racecourse on Nov. 25.
The same tactical scenario could develop in a seven-furlong handicap at Sandown on Wednesday, although King Magnus will be a fraction of the price. In early betting on Monday, King Magnus was the 5-1 third choice in a field of 15.
Paul Lally:
R1: 9-2-13-10
R2: 1-2-4-12
R3: 6-4-1-3
R4: 2-5-8-4
R5: 10-8-6-11
R6: 3-4-8-11
R7: 12-11-1-9
R8: 12-10-11-1
R9: 14-13-3-11
R10: 6-1-7-3
Best Bet R9 N14 Chevalier Prince
Longshot R6 N3 Superb Daddy
Play R9 QQP 3-13-14
Tom Wood:
R1: 9-2-7-6
R2: 1-4-6-5
R3: 6-1-3-4
R4: 2-7-1-5
R5: 10-2-1-6
R6: 2-7-10-6
R7: 12-1-11-6
R8: 10-1-11-4
R9: 13-14-11-4
Even for a marathon race, the $224,600 Jericho Cup at Warrnambool Racecourse in Australia is a test of stamina.
The race is run at 2 7/8 miles. Not surprisingly, this is a new distance for many of the runners. The Jericho Cup is restricted to Australian- and New Zealand-breds and drew a field of 18, but will have a safety limit of 14 starters.
In a meeting of the young superstar against the established mare, the undefeated Triple Crown winner Contrail has grabbed the role of favorite from Almond Eye in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.
Contrail, the winner of seven races, will start against older horses for the first time in the $6.21 million Japan Cup at 1 1/2 miles against Almond Eye and 13 others, including the undefeated 3-year-old filly Daring Tact. This will be only meeting of the three. Almond Eye is scheduled to be retired after Sunday’s race.
The veteran gelding Vungers is a cut below the group-level runners in Australia, which often leads to appearances in handicap cup races at smaller venues throughout the state of Victoria.
Vungers was fourth in the restricted Melbourne Cup Carnival County Final at a mile at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 5, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the $368,000 race, and rebounded to win the Donald Cup at about a mile at Donald Racecourse on Nov. 15.
The six-time stakes winner Trekking is winless in his last four starts in some of Australia’s top sprints.
This is largely unfamiliar territory for Trekking, who has won 10 of 32 starts and will be favored to win his third Group 1 race in Saturday’s $736,000 Winterbottom Stakes at six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse in Perth.
