A plane carrying 27 North American-based Thoroughbred racehorses was bound for Newark Liberty International Airport from Dubai on Thursday.
Ten of the horses had shipped just last week from the U.S. to start on the Dubai World Cup card on March 28. That racing program was canceled by the Dubai government on March 22 over concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Meydan Racecourse, site of the World Cup, had been racing spectator-free since earlier this month.
Verry Elleegant and Avilius, second and third in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes on March 21, are back in action again this weekend as the leading candidates for Saturday’s Group 1 Tancred Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Rosehill Gardens, near Sydney, Australia.
The $894,000 Tancred Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf is run at a distance that should suit Verry Elleegant, a 5-year-old mare trained by Chris Waller. Verry Elleegant won the Group 1 ATC Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Randwick last April, the only time she has raced at the distance in her 18-race career.
Both Ireland and South Africa planned to cease all live racing operations as of March 27 as the countries’ governments announced strict measures for citizens to stay at home to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Both countries had been conducting racing spectator-free, but the new orders to shut down will have racetracks in the countries closed until at least mid-April.
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-2-12-3
R2: 3-5-1-2
R3: 10-1-4-9
R4: 8-6-3-11
R5: 2-6-10-3
R6: 4-2-1-7
R7: 7-3-6-5
R8: 6-3-8-2
Best Bet: R7 N7 Naboo Star
Long: R3 N10 Island Winner
Play: R7 QQP 3-7-6
Tom Wood:
R1: 1 – 12 – 2 – 3
R2: 1 – 3 – 2 – 8
R3: 3 – 1 – 4 – 9
R4: 6 – 8 – 3 – 2
R5: 3 – 2 – 6 – 10
R6: 1 – 2 – 7 – 4
R7: 3 – 7 – 6 – 4
R8: 6 – 7 – 8 – 3
Suddenly, the competition for leading rider in Hong Kong is very close.
Through March 17, Joao Moreira had a four-race lead on Zac Purton. Two programs later, after Sunday’s Hong Kong Derby card at Sha Tin, Purton had narrowed Moreira’s advantage to one by winning five races at Happy Valley last Wednesday and at Sha Tin on Sunday compared to two wins in those days for Moreira.
Golden Sixty closed from 11th through the stretch with a spectacular rally to win Sunday’s $2.57 million Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin Racecourse, completing a sweep of the circuit’s early-year Triple Crown for 4-year-olds.
Golden Sixty won the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January and the Hong Kong Classic Cup at 1 1/8 miles in February. He is the second horse to sweep the series, preceded by Rapper Dragon in 2017.
The 2020 Dubai World Cup card, scheduled for March 28, was canceled on Sunday by Dubai government officials.
A release from the government of Dubai media office announced what was translated into English as a postponement until next year, meaning there will be no 2020 World Cup. The United Emirates Racing season begins in the autumn and all but wraps up before the hottest months with the World Cup in late March.
Betting shops are closed and the grandstands are empty, but the turf flat season in Ireland is on.
Monday, a seven-race program at Naas Racecourse will launch a season that will provide much-needed action for European flat racing fans. Racing in the United Kingdom is suspended through April, while France will not race through April 14 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
