The warmup race has been completed. Yoo Yoo King can win for the first time in his career in Hong Kong in Wednesday’s O’Brien Handicap for sprinters at Happy Valley Racecourse.

A 4-year-old South African-bred, Yoo Yoo King was 12^th in his Hong Kong debut on July 1, toward the end of the circuit’s 2018-19 season. Yoo Yoo King finished a troubled fourth in his first start of the current season, on Oct. 9.

Yoo Yoo King raced in traffic in the final sixteenth and was beaten 1 1/4 lengths. The stewards conducted an inquiry, but did not change the order of finish.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, 6 November, 2019)

The Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday will have a significant European feel, continuing a trend in recent years.

Of the 24 runners in the two-mile race, 14 have raced in Europe this year. There are nine horses in the field that have been based in Australia in 2019 and one from Japan.

European-based trainers have won the last two runnings – Rekindling for trainer Joseph O’Brien of Ireland in 2017 and Cross Counter for Charlie Appleby of England last year.

The Group 3, $414,721 Sa Sa Ladies Purse on Sunday at Sha Tin should offer plenty of clues toward the Hong Kong International Races next month.

Among 11 entrants are Exultant, who won the Hong Kong Vase on the International card in 2019; Time Warp, who captured the Hong Kong Cup in 2017; and Furore, who won the Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Mile last season, two thirds of the Four-year-old Classic Series. Dark Dream, who also ran well last racing season in the Four-year-old Classic Series, and Singapore Sling add depth to a field that’s strong for the class level.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, 3 November, 2019)

Brett Davis – Selections

R1 – 9-5-2-1
R2 – 3-12-8-2
R3 – 5-8-3-6
R4 – 10-7-2-12
R5 – 3-4-5-7
R6 – 7-8-1-3
R7 – 9-2-3-1
R8 – 1-5-6-3

Best – R8 N1 Chefano
Longshot – R7 N3 Coby Boy
Best Play – R3 Q/Qp 3,5,8

Andrew Le Jeune:

R1: 2-9-4-3
R2: 12-8-1-2
R3: 1-3-8-4
R4: 8-4-10-12
R5: 4-3-5-2
R6: 6-7-5-4
R7: 9-1-3-11
R8: 1-6-7-5

Best: R5 N4 King’s Trooper
Each/Way: R6 N6 The Runner
Play: Q/QP R6 5-6-7

Paul Lally:

Shining Ace seems to thrive when he has to overcome trouble.

At Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in June, and again at Happy Valley Racecourse on Oct. 16, Shining Ace raced in traffic, but recovered to win six-furlong handicaps on turf.

Wednesday at Happy Valley, Shining Ace can win consecutive starts for the second time in the last six months in the $184,960 Hebe Hill Handicap at six furlongs.

Shining Ace, trained by John Size, has conditions in his favor. Shining Ace is a stalker, who will have a pace to follow from runners such as Planet Star and Tang Fleming.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, 30 October, 2019)

Alson, second in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Oct. 6, won his first Group 1 race in his final start of 2019 in Sunday’s $276,975 Criterium International at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.

The final Group 1 race for 2-year-olds of the European season turned out to be a match race. Only four were entered in the Criterium International, with the field reduced to three after Wichita was scratched on Sunday morning. The filly Lady Penelope was withdrawn at the start after becoming upset in the gate.

Almond Eye returned from a layoff of more than four months to win her second Grade 1 or Group 1 race of the year in Sunday’s $2.675 million Autumn Tenno Sho at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

The Tenno Sho served as a prep for the Japan Cup on Nov. 24, a race Almond Eye won last year en route to the title of 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Almond Eye (3-5) closed from the middle of a field of 16 to take the lead with a furlong to go before drawing off to win by three lengths over 8-1 Danon Premium, who finished a neck in front of 19-1 Aerolithe.