Ascoli Piceno, the Japanese champion 2-year-old filly of 2023 and favorite for Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse, has had a diverse international campaign on two continents since last fall.

Last November, Ascoli Piceno finished worse than second for the first time in her seventh start. She finished 12th in a field of 20 in the $6.57 million Golden Eagle Stakes for 4-year-olds at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Ascoli Piceno was beaten 4 1/4 lengths after a wide trip.

By Leo Schlink

Bearing down on 100 wins in Hong Kong, Andrea Atzeni has clinched the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) ride on 25 May on G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) winner Bundle Award.

Atzeni will chase his first Hong Kong Group 1 trophy on Bundle Award, who became the first runner from this season’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) to win a Group 3 with success in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup at Sha Tin on 4 May under Zac Purton.

Paul Lally: 
R1 9-6-12-1 
R2 3-9-5-7 
R3 1-7-6-10 
R4 2-5-4-1 
R5 8-1-12-2 
R6 3-8-7-9 
R7 10-1-7-9 
R8 5-2-1-12 
R9 4-5-8-10 
R10 1-11-14-7 
Best Bet R9 N4 Pakistan Legacy 
Longshot R5 N8 Thunder Blink 
Play R10 1-11-14 

Sha Tin Selections 
(Sunday, May 18, 2025) 

The outcome of the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on April 19 might have been different if Benedetta had a clean run through the stretch.

Traffic issues cost Benedetta dearly, leading to a fifth-place finish by 2 3/4 lengths in the $955,500 All Aged Stakes at seven furlongs.

An equally lucrative prize at a shorter distance may work for Benedetta in Friday evening’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 Stakes at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane. The six-furlong race has a purse of $960,000 and drew a competitive field of 14.

Paul Lally:

R1 8-3-1-10

R2 5-1-4-7

R3 1-5-4-3

R4 4-5-1-3

R5 11-5-3-9

R6 10-5-8-3

R7 7-6-10-4

R8 8-3-9-10

R9 2-3-5-9

Best Bet R7 N7 Glory B

Longshot R6 N10 Rich Horse

Play 3 QQP 1-4-5

Tom Wood:

R1:       9-3-4-8

R2:       7-4-1-5

R3:       5-1-2-12

R4:       5-1-4-3

R5:       4-9-1-11

R6:       4-8-5-1

By Declan Schuster

Angus Chung is looking forward to gaining further riding experience in Great Britain when he joins Ralph Beckett’s Kimpton Down Stables in Kimpton, Hampshire over Hong Kong racing’s off-season following the 2024/25 term’s conclusion on 16 July.

By Leo Schlink

Michael Chang will consider a tilt at the HK$4.2 million G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m) on 31 May with Lady’s Choice after the much-improved gelding upstaged a class field of rising talents to win the Class 2 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (10 May).

By Charm Spirit, Lady’s Choice (119lb) led all the way under Matthew Poon to score at odds of 13/1, defeating Bottomuptogether (132lb) by three quarters of a length with Tomodachi Kokoroe (120lb) a head further way in third.

Happy Valley Selections