At a glance, English King looks like a pretender to the throne of English Derby favorite. A seventh at Newmarket, a win at Newcastle, another in a listed race at Lingfield: That’s the résumé of the horse favored to win the Derby on Saturday at Epsom.
Yes, 2020 has been a year like none other, so why not a Derby favorite who never has run in a group race and whose trainer, Ed Walker, has his first Derby starter.
Lake’s Folly had little chance to win a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Morphettville Racecourse in Australia on June 6. In a field of six, Lake’s Folly closed from fifth to be a clear second behind pacesetter Lombardo, who was a heavy favorite and won by a comfortable three lengths.
Lake’s Folly has won 2 of 7 starts and will be favored to end a two-race losing streak in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Bendigo Racecourse. Trained by Anthony Freedman, Lake’s Folly won a six-furlong handicap in April in his first start since mid-December. He is a threat from off the pace.
Riding Snitzinnati in a handicap at Hawkesbury Racecourse in Australia on Thursday will be a welcome distraction for jockey James Innes Jr.
Snitzinnati won 2 of 3 starts in February and March with Innes aboard. The 3-year-old Australian-bred filly will be at the top of the betting market in a five-furlong handicap.
Paul Lally
R1: 1 2 9 8
R2: 12 11 2 8
R3: 2 7 1 5
R4: 4 5 7 11
R5: 10 2 9 4
R6: 12 10 6 1
R7: 2 1 5 8
R8: 5 3 6 10
R9: 12 7 3 9
R10: 14 4 9 7
Best Bet R6 N12 Wayfoong Charmer
Longshot R5 N10 Sparkling Star
Play R6 QQP 6 10 12
The rivalry between Columbus County and Hello Daddy might not be long term, but it’s definitely long distance.
The two horses met twice during 2019 at Te Rapa Racecourse in New Zealand and renew their acquaintance about 5,700 miles away on Wednesday at Sha Tin. The pair starts in the featured eighth race, the Hong Kong Unification Cup, a Class 2 handicap for horses rated 100 to 80 carded for 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) around one turn on turf.
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
Mark McNamara:
R1 – 9.5.11.3
R2 – 10.9.2.1
R3 – 1.3.10.12
R4 – 13.12.7.5
R5 – 13.3.1.9
R6 – 3.2.4.9
R7 – 8.1.7.2
R8 – 13.8.7.1
R9 – 6.9.13.4
R10 – 1.8.11.2
Best Bet – R4 N13 Bright Vision
Longshot – R5 N13 Winning Together
Play – R4 – Q/QPL- 5.7.12.13
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 2-9-6-3
R2: 2-1-9-13
R3: 12-3-7-5
R4: 7-12-3-4
R5: 1-9-5-3
R6: 2-3-14-11
R7: 12-1-7-3
R8: 7-1-8-5
R9: 6-1-8-13
R10: 11-3-8-14
Magical made her four opponents disappear in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes on Sunday at The Curragh.
The 5-year-old mare initially was scheduled to be bred to No Nay Never following her 4-year-old season, but trainer Aidan O’Brien and the mare’s owners – Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor – had second thoughts, and Magical returned for a 2020 campaign.
In 2019, the mare Lys Gracieux won the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen in a season she was named Japan’s Horse of the Year.
Sunday, the 4-year-old filly Chrono Genesis won the second Grade 1 race of her career in the $2.71 million Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Hanshin Racecourse.
In a way, Chrono Genesis was better than Lys Gracieux. Last year, Lys Gracieux won by three lengths. Chrono Genesis won by a record six lengths in the final Grade 1 race of the Japanese spring-summer calendar.
