Favorites prevailed in the French Guineas races Sunday at Parislongchamp, but one just barely, the other only by dint of a stewards’ decision.

Henri Matisse, 2-1 favorite for the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, looked when he split horses with a little more than a furlong to race like he’d win by daylight, but whether Henri Matisse’s run flagged, he idled after making the lead, or the colt Jonquil found something more after being passed, Jonquil came back strongly and missed by a diminishing head.

Panja Tower was a forgotten 3-year-old in Japan, until the final furlong of Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse.

Dismissed at 41-1 in American pools, Panja Tower closed from 10th of 18 with three furlongs remaining, rallying seven-wide. Panja Tower steadily progressed toward the front and held off late threats from Magic Sands and Cerbiatto to win by a head.

Admire Zoom, the likely favorite in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan, was the winner of the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity in December.

Winners of that race are often named champion 2-year-old male, but Admire Zoom lost the award to the equally talented Croix du Nord, the winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes in Japan in late December.

Both were second in their first starts of 2025 – Admire Zoom in the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama on April 12, and Croix du Nord in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama on April 20.

By Leo Schlink

Hugh Bowman has described Fast Network as one of Hong Kong’s most progressive horses as Dennis Yip’s emerging talent squares off against a highly-competitive field in the Class 2 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (10 May).

Paul Lally: 
R1: 7-2-3-4 
R2: 7-1-6-12 
R3: 1-2-10-12 
R4: 8-10-11-13 
R5: 1-8-12-3 
R6: 7-2-3-1 
R7: 9-1-7-4 
R8: 2-1-11-4 
R9: 9-4-5-2 
R10: 1-5-2-3 
Best Bet: R10 N1 Fast Network 
Longshot: R2 N7 Moon Rocket 
Play R9: QQP 4-5-9 

Nearly two years have passed since the five-time Australian stakes winner Giga Kick finished first, making his appearance in Friday’s Group 1 Goodwood Stakes at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide all the more intriguing.

Giga Kick is best known for winning the $9.3 million Everest Stakes - the world’s richest sprint - at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in 2022. The victory was the last of a five-race winning streak at the beginning of his career. Giga Kick has since won two of 10 starts, including a head loss in the $13.3 million Everest Stakes last October.

Sha Tin Selections
(Saturday, May 10, 2025)

By Leo Schlink

A double in tandem with Douglas Whyte at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (7 May) propelled Hugh Bowman to the 60-win milestone for the 2024/25 season – and closer to a season-best tally in Hong Kong.

Bowman’s brace on Whyte-trained Goko Win and Ivy League further cemented the Australian’s second placing in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship behind Zac Purton (104 wins), while Whyte improved his haul to 20 wins for the season.

Paul Lally:

R1 8-2-4-10

R2 12-3-4-7

R3 11-6-3-2

R4 4-5-9-2

R5 8-1-3-10

R6 2-12-3-10

R7 10-6-1-11

R8 10-12-11-7

R9 10-4-9-3

Best Bet R8 N10 10 Lucky Touch

Longshot R7 N10 Chill Master

Play Race6 QQP 2-3-12

Tom Wood:

R1:       1-8-2-3

R2:       12-4-6-3

R3:       8-4-10-11

R4:       4-2-3-9

R5:       10-4-3-1