Since mid-March, the durable gelding My Blue Jeans has had seven starts in Australia, two of which were within five days in late April.

My Blue Jeans has raced at a less hectic pace of late, finishing third by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at Goulborn Racecourse on May 8, his lone start this month. A brief gap between races may be in favor of My Blue Jeans when the 5-year-old gelding has his first start at Albury Racecourse in a seven-furlong handicap on Monday.

Joe Francais wasn’t nearly good enough for the 2019 French Derby, but bettors evidently believe he’ll be very competitive in the Grand Prix de Bordeaux.

The Grand Prix de Bordeaux is one of two listed stakes Saturday at Bordeaux le Buscat, which is one of two French racecourses with Saturday programs. Bordeaux’s seven-race program starts at 6:15 a.m. Eastern, while Angers has an eight-race card, mainly jump racing, beginning at 10:15 a.m.

Ten flat races at Vichy in France, nine more at Dresden in Germany, and nine races over jumps at Dieppe, another French racecourse, form the backbone of European racing on Friday.

Vichy, a modest racecourse in south central France, was among the tracks unaffected by a change in French governmental policy this week that forced the cessation of racing in several regions, including Paris. Friday's card has races from five to 19 furlongs, a first post of 5:15 a.m. Eastern, and is available for live streaming and wagering at bets.drf.com.

The last Group 1 of the Hong Kong season has entrants from only two stables.

Trainer Tony Cruz sends out heavily favored Exultant, likely second choice Furore, and Time Warp in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champion and Chater Cup. The opposition – Eagle Way, Chefano, Helen Charisma, and Savvy Nine – all come from the barn of trainer John Moore.

Rothfire was not expected to lose the $328,000 Jewel 2-year-old Stakes at Gold Coast Racecourse in Australia on March 20. Sent off at 1-5 in a field of 10, Rothfire led into the stretch before finishing two lengths behind the filly Kisukano.

The Jewel was the first loss in five starts for Rothfire, and led to a brief layoff in advance of Saturday’s Group 2 Champagne Classic at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, Australia.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, May 24, 2020)

The French 1000 and 2000 Guineas will be run June 1 at Deauville, French racing authorities announced Wednesday night in a quick recalibration of the racing schedule necessitated by a governmental change in coronavirus-related policy.

Edisa, who won the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational last September at Belmont Park, makes the second start of her 4-year-old campaign in the listed Prix Gold River Stakes on Thursday at Deauville.

Quite a lot has happened since Mr Bellagio and Red Chase finished second and ninth in a handicap at Doomben Racecourse in Australia in late February. Much of it favorable.

Mr Bellagio and Red Chase both won consecutive races for the first time in their lengthy careers in April and May.

They meet for the first time in nearly three months in a seven-furlong handicap at Gold Coast Racecourse on Friday, approaching the race in top form. They have had remarkably similar results in recent weeks.

Racing will cease in four areas of France that have recently experienced spikes in COVID-19 cases, the French racing authority announced Tuesday.

The affected areas, known as prefectures, all are in the northern part of the country and include Paris, and among the racecourses in the order are Longchamp, Chantilly, and Saint-Cloud. The four prefectures have been classified as COVID-19 “red zones” by the French government and will be subject to more stringent rules governing public activities.