The Arc favorite waits in England, but many of her would-be challengers will see racing action Sunday in France.
Enable remains heavily favored to become the first three-time winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after winning her Arc prep, the Yorkshire Oaks, but Longchamp’s card Sunday includes a host of Arc hopefuls. Chief among them is Sottsass, odds-on favorite to beat four rivals in the Group 2 Prix Niel.
Cross Counter, the winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia last November, will have his final start in Europe this year in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish St. Leger at the Curragh in Ireland.
The $664,560 Irish St. Leger at 1 3/4 miles on turf will be his prep for the Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 4.
The Irish St. Leger is one of four Group 1 races on a nine-race program at the Curragh. There are two races offering berths for the winner to Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita on Nov. 1-2.
With Enable away, it’s Magical’s turn to play.
In her last two starts, Magical has run into Enable, the best horse in the world, but Saturday at Leopardstown it’s Magical who is the best horse in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (post time 11:15 a.m. Eastern).
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, 15 September, 2019)
Race 1: #4 Family Leader, #3 Crown Avenue, #7 Bullish Glory, #2 Amazing Agility
Race 2: #3 Enfolding, #8 Good Runners Way, #4 Deal Maker, #1 Good Fit
Race 3: #1 Mister Monte, #6 Regency Gem, #2 Le Panache, #3 Money Winner
Race 4: #6 Friends Of Nanjing, #1 Flying Noble, #7 Liverbird Star, #10 Soccer Master
The undefeated Logician will be a heavy favorite to win his Group 1 debut in Saturday’s $864,360 English St. Leger at Doncaster Racecourse.
Trained by John Gosden for Juddmonte Farms, Logician has earned the role of favorite with a quick rise through the 3-year-old division since his career debut in May. Logician won the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at 1 1/2 miles for 3-year-olds at York Racecourse on Aug. 21 by 1 3/4 lengths over Constantinople.
Brett Davis – Selections
R1 – 4-3-7-9
R2 – 1-11-10-4
R3 – 2-4-5-10
R4 – 9-1-2-5
R5 – 5-3-7-8
R6 – 4-5-1-7
R7 – 4-10-11-3
R8 – 7-6-9-4
Best – R2 N1 Blade Racer
Longshot – R5 N7 Hardly Swears
Best Play – R5 Q/Qp 3,5,7
Paul Lally:
R1 2-9-6-5
R2 6-11-10-9
R3 2-10-6-5
R4 1-2-6-7
R5 3-5-1-4
R6 5-1-7-6
R7 10-11-3-2
R8 1-7-6-9
Mission Tycoon was overmatched in the Hong Kong Derby in March and two group-level stakes in April and June. His best finish in those races was a fourth in the Group 3 Lion Rocky Trophy in June.
For his first start of the current 2019-2020 Hong Kong season, Mission Tycoon will start in a much easier race in Wednesday’s $284,429 Big Wave Bay Handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse. The eight-race program is the first evening of racing of the season at Happy Valley. The season began earlier this month with two programs at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Circus Maximus (4-1) beat Romanised by a nose in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at a mile on turf at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, but kept the win only after an inquiry into the stretch run.
Circus Maximus, ridden by Ryan Moore drifted out in the final sixteenth which forced out 2-1 favorite Romanised. The order of finish was not changed.
Hello Youmzain inherited the role of co-favorite for Saturday’s Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock Park in England after the scratches of two leading contenders and led throughout the weakened six-furlong race.
The $366,000 Sprint Cup was greatly diminished by the withdrawal on Friday of the 3-year-old Group 1 sprint winners Advertise, because of illness, and Ten Sovereigns, because of soft turf.
