Tue, 04/01/2025 - 11:11

Hong Kong Selections for Wednesday, Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Selections for Wednesday's racing program from Happy Valley.
Wednesday's Happy Valley program features nine races.

Paul Lally:

R1 5-4-1-3

R2 3-7-9-8

R3 8-5-9-2

R4 8-6-2-4

R5 8-6-2-10

R6 7-1-12-8

R7 5-4-9-1

R8 4-7-5-1

R9 8-7-11-3

 

Best Bet R8 N4 Definitive

Value Play R9 N8 Find My Love

Play R4 QQP 2-6-8

 

Tom Wood:

R1:       2-1-3-10

R2:       9-5-1-2

R3:       8-9-10-2

R4:       2-10-6-4

R5:       6-2-5-10

Tue, 04/01/2025 - 10:54

Andrea Atzeni aims to extend hot streak at Happy Valley

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Crystal Powerful wins at Happy Valley under Andrea Atzeni.

By Declan Schuster

Andrea Atzeni has rocketed into third place in the 2024/25 Hong Kong jockeys’ championship and the Italian ace is aiming to continue a prosperous stretch of form when he takes seven rides at Happy Valley tomorrow night (Wednesday, 2 April).

The 34-year-old rode 10 winners through March from 51 pairings to lift his score to 36 behind only Zac Purton (87 wins) and Hugh Bowman (51). Brenton Avdulla (34) and Luke Ferraris (33) are the only other riders to surpass the 30-win mark this season.

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:47

Ka Ying Rising makes it 11 in a row with flawless G2 Sprint Cup display

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ka Ying Rising charges clear for Zac Purton and David Hayes.

by Leo Schlink

Delivering a chilling reminder of his extraordinary talent, Ka Ying Rising posted his 11th consecutive victory with a blistering display in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) to crown Zac Purton’s return to race riding at Sha Tin on Sunday (30 March).

The world’s highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (128lb) demolished his opposition with familiar nonchalance to score by three lengths from Helios Express (123lb) and Lucky With You (123lb) in 1m 08.18s after being eased down by Purton with 100m to go.

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:38

Luke Middlebrook's Hong Kong Selections and Analysis for Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Hong Kong Jockey Club
Wednesday's Happy Valley program features nine races.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, April 02, 2025)

Sun, 03/30/2025 - 15:11

Japan: Satono Reve gives Moreira boost in Takamatsonomiya Kinen

Satono Reve gave international jockey Joao Moreira his second important stakes win in Japan in as many days with a predictable victory in Sunday’s Grade 1 Takamatsonomiya Kinen for sprinters at Chukyo Racecourse.

Sun, 03/30/2025 - 13:36

Australia: Streaking Treasurethe Moment leads field in Vinery Stud Stakes

Three days later than expected, the brilliant Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old filly Treasurethe Moment will be a solid favorite to win her fifth consecutive stakes and seventh straight race of any kind in Monday’s Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Australia.

The $473,100 Vinery Stud Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, and another Group 1 at 1 1/4 miles, the $946,200 Tancred Stakes, were postponed from the weekend because of excessive rain in the Sydney area.

Sat, 03/29/2025 - 10:18

Japan: Luxor Cafe dominates Fukuryu Stakes to earn Kentucky Derby berth

Luxor Cafe recorded a commanding five-length win in Saturday’s $226,400 Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan to secure a qualifying berth for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.

It was not immediately clear whether the Kentucky-bred Luxor Cafe would be sent to the Kentucky Derby, but the colt did show on Saturday that he is in the best form of his career by winning his fourth consecutive race.

Luxor Cafe was nominated to the American Triple Crown earlier this year.

Fri, 03/28/2025 - 15:30

Namura Clair good fit vs. males in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Satono Reve Dec 4 2024
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Satono Reve was the early 3-1 betting favorite for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the first Grade 1 turf race of the year in Japan.

The 6-year-old mare Namura Clair is winless in eight Grade 1 races in Japan since late 2021, a losing streak in top-level races that may end in Sunday’s $2.19 million Takamatsunomiya Kinen for sprinters at Chukyo Racecourse.

Namura Clair was second in the 2024 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, which is annually the first Grade 1 race of the year on turf in Japan. A winner of 6 of 20 starts, including five Grade 2 or Grade 3 races, Namura Clair will have her 2025 debut on Sunday. She won the Grade 2 Hanshin Cup at seven furlongs at Kyoto in December in her final start of 2024.

Fri, 03/28/2025 - 14:31

Hong Kong Selections for Sunday, March 30, 2025

Hong Kong Jockey Club
Sha Tin turf racing.

Paul Lally:
R1 4-2-5-6 
R2 1-2-3-7
R3 7-12-6-3
R4 8-12-14-10
R5 4-12-3-1
R6 5-1-11-4
R7 1-3-4-2
R8 8-5-2-3
R9 5-1-10-6
R10 8-5-6-7
Best Bet R5 N4 Chancheng Glory
Longshot R8 N8 California Blitz
Play R10 QQP 5-6-8

Thu, 03/27/2025 - 15:53

Pierre Ng banks on Zac Purton to extract best from Galaxy Patch

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Galaxy Patch is a seven-time winner in Hong Kong.

By Leo Schlink

Pierre Ng is optimistic seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton can coax the best out of Galaxy Patch when the mercurial talent contests the HK$5.35 million G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (30 March).

Purton returns to race riding for the first time since injuring his left foot on 9 February and the Australian’s nine rides include the prized mounts of Ka Ying Rising in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) and Galaxy Patch.