King Genki has won three of his last four starts on the infield dirt track at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, becoming a bettors’ friend along the way. Since late October, King Genki has won as the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth at 9-2, and won consecutive starts at 7-1 and 17-2.

King Genki has risen steadily in class with his recent success and is the highest-rated horse in Wednesday’s $248,572 Cafeteria Handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Sha Tin. Because apprentice jockey Victor Wong claims five pounds, King Genki will carry 128 pounds. He is still the highweight.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, May 8, 2019)

Ho Ho Khan, fifth in the Hong Kong Derby in March, won his group stakes debut in Sunday’s Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, one of the few stakes on that circuit at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Ridden by Vincent Lo for trainer David Hall, Ho Ho Khan, the 9-5 favorite, closed from the middle of a field of nine to take the lead with a furlong remaining, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over 8-1 Savvy Six. Helene Leadingstar, the 6-1 fourth choice, finished third after setting the pace.

A day after landing the English 2000 Guineas with Magna Grecia, trainer Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore were back at it again Sunday at Newmarket, as Hermosa scored an upset victory in the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas.

With O’Brien’s top jockeys Ryan Moore and Donnacha O’Brien (who rode Magna Grecia) riding other horses Sunday, the mount on Hermosa was left to Wayne Lordan, who put his filly on an early lead she’d never relinquish.

Magna Grecia ended his 2018 campaign with a win in a Group 1 race in England and began his 3-year-old season in the same manner on Saturday, giving trainer Aidan O’Brien a record 10th win in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse.

Ridden by O’Brien’s son, Donnacha, Magna Grecia (11-2) won the 2000 Guineas by 2 1/2 lengths over 66-1 King of Change. Skardu finished third at 8-1 in the field of 19.

Aidan O’Brien had two starters, including 9-4 favorite Ten Sovereigns, who finished fifth, beaten 4 3/4 lengths.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, May 5)

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis

Brett Davis

R1: 8-6-7-2

R2: 1-7-10-13

R3: 2-3-8-5

R4: 7-9-6-8

R5: 7-3-6-4

R6: 8-9-7-5

R7: 4-2-7-6

R8: 2-11-13-9

R9: 7-9-1-10

R10: 5-3-2-9

R11: 9-2-1-3

Best Bet – R5: #7 Young Glory  

Longshot – R4: #7 Trust Me

Best Play – R5: Trio  7 / 3,4,6,12

Andrew Le Jeune

R1: 8-6-1-7

Insayshable will carry the top weight of 133 pounds in Sunday’s Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on the basis of his form in races at a mile to 1 1/4 miles this season.

The $414,271 Queen Mother Memorial Cup is a handicap run at 1 1/2 miles on turf. The distance will be new to Insayshable and several of his nine rivals. None has run that far in Hong Kong, a distance that is infrequent at Sha Tin, the circuit’s premier racecourse.

Qabala won her debut in a maiden race at Newmarket, England, last September. She won her stakes debut in the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on April 16 in her first start this year and second race of her career.

No wonder Qabala is expected to be favored in Sunday’s Group 1 English 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Newmarket. Trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qabala has had no difficultly negotiating the testing uphill finish at Newmarket in races at seven furlongs.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, May 5, 2019)

Race 1: #8 Winning Method, #6 Gala Night, #2 Sparkling Knight, #1 Shadow Breaker

Race 2: #10 Triumphant Light, #1 Indigenous Star, #7 Keep Winning, #5 Levante

Race 3: #1 Hard Promise, #2 Sunny Boy, #4 Magnificent, #8 Ambitious Heart

Race 4: #8 Victory In Hand, #9 What A Legend, #6 Coby Win, #10 Holee Money

Race 5: #4 Elite Patch, #7 Young Legend, #2 Sumstreetsumwhere, #12 Beauty Day

The first classic race of the American season, the Kentucky Derby, lost it’s favorite, Omaha Beach, just three days before the race. The 2000 Guineas, the first European classic, lost its leading light, Too Darn Hot, about two weeks ago.

Omaha Beach, sidelined with an entrapped epiglottis, assumed his favorite’s role only after winning the Arkansas Derby in mid-April, but Too Darn Hot had been the Guineas favorite all winter before an untimely splint injury set him back.