In two starts in March and once earlier this month, Lancer closed with interest in six-furlong races in Australia to lose twice by a nose and once by two lengths.
A start in a longer race has arrived. Lancer is entered in a handicap at about 7 3/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday that could put the Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old gelding in the winner’s circle for the second time in his eighth start.
Hong Kong-based top-level horses were putting in final preparations this week for the three Group 1 races carded for Sunday at Sha Tin – the QE II Cup, the Champions Mile, and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize
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Trainer Caspar Fownes is the king of Happy Valley, and in Dancing Fighter, Fownes might have the right horse for the co-featured eighth race Wednesday at Happy Valley.
Dancing Fighter totes top weight of 133 pounds facing nine rivals in a Class 3 sprint over 1,200 meters, but he has Zac Purton in the irons and the sharp form to overcome the weighty impost.
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It is something of a surprise that the New Zealand-bred gelding Shockingly has won two of his last three starts in Australia since late January.
He was 11-1 when he beat maidens in his seventh career race in January and the same price when he won his second start against winners on March 29.
The winning trend will attract attention when Shockingly starts in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles on Tuesday at Ballarat Racecourse in Australia. The distance will be a challenge, equaling the longest race in the 4-year-old’s career.
Contrail began his 3-year-old season Sunday in the same manner he ended his 2019 campaign in Japan – winning a Grade 1 race to emphasize his positon as the leader of his generation.
The champion 2-year-old male of 2019 in Japan, Contrail (8-5) won Sunday’s $2.27 million Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse over 7-2 Salios. The half-length margin was the closest any rival has come to Contrail in his four-race career and is likely to lead to a rematch in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby on May 31 at Tokyo Racecourse.
The lightly raced gelding Lesham will face winners for the first time in a six-furlong handicap at Mornington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday.
While Lesham will carry top weight of 135 pounds in a field of 12, he may be able to overcome that to win his second consecutive race of the Southern Hemisphere autumn.
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King’s Legacy rallied from midfield to win his second consecutive Group 1 race in Saturday’s $252,800 Champagne Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
The victory is likely to be the final start before the Australian winter for the Southern Hemisphere 2-year-old, who has won three of six starts to leap to the forefront of the division in recent weeks.
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Tom Wood:
R1: 1 – 2 – 4 – 8
R2: 7 – 2 – 3 – 9
R3: 1 – 14 – 6 – 12
R4: 5 – 14 – 8 – 6
R5: 1 – 4 – 6 – 2
R6: 4 – 5 – 6 – 13
R7: 11 – 4 – 2 – 6
R8: 1 – 2 – 9 – 4
R9: 12 – 10 – 2 – 4
R10: 2 – 8 – 14 – 12
BEST: R9 N12 WILL POWER
VALUE: R7 N11 ETERNAL HARVEST (EW)
PLAY: R9 - QQP 12 < 2,4,10
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-4-2-14
R2: 4-9-7-2
R3: 1-6-12-14
R4: 14-5-8-6
R5: 1-11-2-6
R6: 5-4-1-6
There were no photo finishes required in Contrail’s unbeaten season in 2019, which led to him being named Japan’s champion 2-year-old male. He won three races by at least 1 1/2 lengths and finished the season with a victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse.
Contrail, a colt by top Japanese stallion Deep Impact, will start his 3-year-old season at Nakayama Racecourse on Sunday in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles, a race formally known as the Setsuki Sho.
