The Geraldton Turf Club is located in the Indian Ocean beach town of the same name north of Perth in Western Australia. The small venue has become the home course for Freeze’emoff, a 5-year-old Southern Hemisphere mare trained by Graeme Hammarquist in nearby Walkaway.
Freeze’emoff has won 7 of 23 races in her career and 6 of 21 starts at Geraldton, the venue of all of her starts since she joined Hammarquist’s stable in January 2018.
Featured on a 10-race card Sunday at Sha Tin is race 9, a Class 2 1,200-meter handicap over the dirt course, but the most interesting horse on the program, Mighty Giant, starts in race 10.
A 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding by Power, Mighty Giant is a chestnut with a big white face, a big body, and a big, beautiful stride. Mighty Giant tipped the scales at 1,244 pounds before his career debut in November but now is down to a better racing weight, about 1,215 pounds.
Since he resumed racing in January after a four-month break, Zoffany’s Lad has won once and finished second four times in a span of five starts, losing by margins ranging from a head to 1 1/4 lengths.
A winner of 7 of 25 starts, Zoffany’s Lad is effective at distances ranging from about a mile to 1 1/4 miles. His stamina will be tested in Friday’s Orange Gold Cup Showcase at 1 5/16 miles at Towac Park outside of Orange, Australia.
The British Horseracing Authority, ruling body of the sport in England, announced Wednesday it was indefinitely extending a suspension of all racing that began March 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The BHA’s initial plan, which went into effect before a general governmental countrywide shutdown came into force, listed April 30 as a target date to resume spectator-free racing, but the BHA has decided that’s no longer feasible.
Lengthy losing streaks have been a rarity in the accomplished career of Australian sprinter Santa Ana Lane.
A winner of 10 of 39 starts, Santa Ana Lane is winless in his last six starts leading to an appearance in Saturday’s Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. The only time the 7-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding has gone longer without a win was a 12-race span early in his career from late 2015 to early 2017.
Drying conditions in Australia may suit Invincible Lad in a handicap at five furlongs on turf at Wyong Racecourse on Thursday.
In recent weeks, many race meetings have been contested on soft or heavy turf courses in Australia. The turf course at Wyong on Thursday is expected to be rated as good.
Invincible Lad, a 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, has not raced since December 2018. He won consecutive races at five furlongs on good turf in July and August of that year and was third in his final three starts before the lengthy layoff.
Private Secretary should be happy to return to Happy Valley, while his jockey, Antoine Hamelin, surely is happy just to be in Hong Kong.
Hamelin, a 26-year-old French journeyman, shipped to Hong Kong in March, did a 14-day quarantine, and had his first Hong Kong rides this past Sunday at Sha Tin. Hamelin won two races on that April 12 card, gaining plenty of attention and a foothold in the tough local riding colony.
“I’m really happy; there’s a lot of emotion,” Hamelin told Hong Kong Jockey Club publicity after his successful local debut Sunday.
There was little wrong with the runner-up finish by Dio D’Oro in a handicap on April 8 at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Dio D’Oro was 40-1 and finished second by a neck to 5-2 favorite Royal Celebration in a one-mile race.
Wednesday, bettors may easily focus on Dio D’Oro in the Vale Might and Power Handicap at 7 3/4 furlongs on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick. Randwick holds many of Australia’s leading races, such as four Group 1 races last Saturday. The Kensington course is the track’s inner-most turf course.
Saudi Arabia’s racing authority announced Monday it is withholding the distribution of the purse from the $20 million Saudi Cup due to the indictment of the trainer of the winning horse on charges related to administering illegal substances to horses.
The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said that it would not distribute the purse payments until its own investigation is concluded, and that it would have no further statement until the probe is wrapped up.
