Trainer Aidan O’Brien has the favorite for Saturday’s Group 1 English Derby at Epsom. And the second favorite, fourth favorite, and sixth favorite. What O’Brien has is a veritable army of Derby runners – seven of the 14 entered in one of the world’s top races.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, June 2, 2019)

Race 1: #6 Gorgeous Again, #2 Best Effort, #3 Dragon Warrior, #10 Celebration

Race 2: #4 Classic Unicorn, #3 Aurora Steed, #1 Allied Agility, #6 Simply Fluke

Race 3: #1 Buddies, #13 Nice Fandango, #4 Intrepic, #5 Murray’s Partners

Race 4: #8 Silver Fig, #3 Victory Machine, #7 Red Desert, #9 Ambitious Heart

Race 5: #1 Chairman Lo, #3 The Createth, #10 Destin, #8 Emerald Spur

For a filly without a group stakes win in her brief career, Pink Dogwood is the focus of high expectations in Friday’s Group 1 English Oaks at Epsom Downs.

Pink Dogwood’s race record, pedigree, and support team suggest her role of favorite is deserved. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won the English Oaks seven times, Pink Dogwood won her 2019 debut in the minor Salsabil Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Navan by a calculated half-length under jockey Ryan Moore, who has the mount on Friday.

Brett Davis 

R1 – 9-3-5-1

R2 – 3-6-12-1

R3 – 9-11-8-2

R4 – 4-7-2-5-9

R5 – 5-3-6-9

R6 – 8-10-4-5

R7 – 10-12-8-1

R8 – 6-9-12-2

Best – R8 n6   First Responder  

Longshot – R5 n5   Gentry

Best Play – R3   Q/Qp   2,8,9,11

Andrew Le Jeune

R1: 1-9-3-11

R2: 3-12-10-4

R3: 11-3-2-1

R4: 6-4-5-2

R5: 8-3-9-12

R6: 8-5-4-9

R7: 10-5-1-12

R8: 10-6-4-2

Best: R1 N1 Star Luck

Long: R4 N6 Cheeky Bee

Play: Q/QP R4: 4-5-6

True Grit and Waldorf have each won their last two starts at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong and the geldings can give jockey Joao Moreira a sweep of the late double at the same venue on Wednesday.

True Grit, trained by John Size, won handicaps at a mile and 50 yards in consecutive starts on April 10 and May 15, closing from off the pace to oblige as the favorite. Those races were against a lower class of runners than True Grit will face in Wednesday’s $175,818 Shan Pui River Handicap at the same distance.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, May 29, 2019)

The exciting 3-year-old filly Siyarafina aced her stakes debut Sunday at Longchamp, capturing the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary by one length to run her record to three wins from three starts.

Roger Barows, a 92-1 outsider, turned in a stalking trip into a shocking win in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Ridden by Suguru Hamanaka, Roger Barows was second behind runaway leader Lion Lion for the first mile of the $3.8 million race at 1 1/2 miles before taking the lead in the final quarter-mile. Roger Barows held off a late charge from 7-2 Danon Kingly to win by a neck in stakes record time of 2:22.60.

The Japanese Derby was the first stakes win for Roger Barows, who was seventh and second in Grade 2 races in March and May.

Aidan O’Brien dominates high-end racing in Ireland, and two fillies from his training yard, Magical and Hermosa, dominated the Group 1 races Sunday at The Curragh.

Magical made short work of a short field in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, beating stablemate Flag of Honour by seven lengths, and one race later, Hermosa gave O’Brien his eighth win in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Exultant capped a sterling Hong Kong season Sunday at Sha Tin, winning the Group 1, $1.27 million Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup by 1 1/4 lengths.

Champion jockey Zac Purton gave Exultant a perfect trip while recording one of his six winners on the 11-race program. Purton also rode Little Giant to victory in the card’s supporting feature, the Group 3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap.