Two of the biggest names at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, Benbatl and North America, are expected to see action Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse.

North America is entered in the Group 2, $350,000 Maktoum Challenge Round 1, a 1,600-meter, one-turn dirt race, the first local step toward the Dubai World Cup on March 28.

by Dick Powell

20 races
8 favorites won – 40%
12.32 average field size
$33.04 average win price

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, January 8, 2020)

Long before he won consecutive runnings of the Group 1, $1.5 million Kranji Mile in Singapore in 2018 and again last May, Southern Legend began his Hong Kong career with two wins at Happy Valley Racecourse in 2017.

Now 7, Southern Legend will race at Happy Valley for the first time in a year in Wednesday’s Group 3 January Cup at 1 1/8 miles. Southern Legend was sixth in the 2019 January Cup and faces three other runners from that field in Wednesday’s race, including Simply Brilliant and Insayshable, who were first and third, and Eagle Way, who was 10^th.

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 8-9-1-5

R2: 3-1-2-6

R3: 10-12-4-3

R4: 2-1-5-10

R5: 1-8-5-3

R6: 12-3-2-4

R7: 9-4-3-1

R8: 4-1-6-3

R9: 12-3-14-6

R10: 10-1-6-14

Best: R8 N4 Lakeshore Eagle

Each/way: R9 N12 Amazing Beats

Play: R9 Q/QP 3-12-14

Tom Wood:

R1:      8 – 5 – 11 – 9

R2:      4 – 1 – 2 – 3

R3:      13 – 3 – 8 – 10

R4:      2 – 1 – 3 – 9

R5:      1 – 3 – 2 – 8

R6:      3 – 12 – 2 – 4

R7:      4 – 9 – 1 – 10

Gladiator King, who won the Hutcheson Stakes this past spring at Gulfstream Park, made a winning Dubai debut on Thursday when he captured the Group 3, $200,000 Dubawi Stakes by a neck over Ibn Malik.

Beauty Legacy brings a hefty reputation to his Hong Kong debut in Sunday’s $269,600 Broadwood Handicap at seven furlongs on turf at Sha Tin Racecourse.

In early 2019, Beauty Legacy won the Group 2 Autumn Stakes at seven furlongs and was later third in the Group 1 Australian Guineas and seventh in the All-Star Mile at Flemington Racecourse when racing under the name Hawkshot.

Beauty Legacy had his name changed when he was transferred to Hong Kong, arriving at trainer John Size’s stable in July.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, January 5, 2019)

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 3-2-6-1

R2: 1-10-12-5

R3: 10-3-11-7

R4: 11-4-13-3

R5: 10-2-12-5

R6: 6-3-4-12

R7: 4-7-3-1

R8: 1-13-11-5

R9: 8-1-11-3

R10: 3-1-5-6

Best: R3 N10 Oversubscribed

Each/way: R9 N8 Playa Del Puente

Play: R9 Q/QP 1-8-11

Paul Lally:

R1 2-3-1-6

R2 10-5-6-1

R3 7-6-3-10

R4 11-9-3-1

R5 2-1-8-10

R6 12-4-10-11

R7 7-5-4-1

R8 1-11-2-13

R9 1-6-2-10

R10 5-11-13-2

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 8-6-4-5
R2: 12-3-1-7
R3: 5-2-9-6
R4: 3-6-9-4
R5: 11-4-1-2
R6: 3-6-7-11
R7: 8-1-2-7
R8: 8-2-3-9
R9: 14-1-3-2
R10: 4-9-6-14

Best: R8 N8 Lucky More
Each/Way: R3 N5 Total Power
Play: Q/QP R8 2-3-8

Tom Wood:

SELECTIONS: