Heart Conquered was a busy gelding as a 3-year-old in Australia, winning four of 12 starts in 2018-19.
His determination was on display when Heart Conquered overcame a troubled start to finish a fast-closing third in a handicap at five furlongs at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on Jan. 1, his first start since mid-July and debut in Hong Kong.
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 9-6-4-2
R2: 6-9-3-8
R3: 1-7-2-10
R4: 1-3-13-11
R5: 5-3-11-7
R6: 2-14-9-6
R7: 1-5-4-7
R8: 9-2-11-4
R9: 4-8-5-3
R10: 6-2-10-13
Best: R9 N4 Be Ready
Each/way: R7 N1 King’s Trooper
Play: Q/QP R9 4-5-8
Tom Wood:
R1: 9 – 10 – 12 – 6
R2: 3 – 1 – 10 – 7
R3: 12 – 1 – 7 – 5
R4: 1 – 11 – 12 – 3
R5: 5 – 7 – 3 – 2
R6: 2 – 14 – 9 – 1
R7: 4 – 5 – 1 – 11
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 10-11-1-6
R2: 2-9-1-6
R3: 10-1-2-4
R4: 7-11-5-12
R5: 8-3-1-5
R6: 6-1-5-8
R7: 11-7-6-1
R8: 10-2-1-11
R9: 2-1-10-3
Best: R5 N8 Murray’s Partners
Each/way: R8 N10 The Runner
Play: R5 Q/QP 1-3-8
Paul Lally:
R1 6-7-11-9
R2 2-1-4-9
R3 7-1-8-2
R4 5-7-12-11
R5 3-2-8-12
R6 8-5-4-9
R7 7-11-4-5
R8 6-4-1-2
R9 2-10-5-1
Best Bet: R1 N6 Focus
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.
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 10th.
