Marhoona, who ran for the first time on Feb. 7, held off late threats from Wodeton and an unlucky favorite in Tempted to win Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Marhoona closed from sixth between horses in a field of 16 to reach the front more than a sixteenth of a mile from the finish of the six-furlong race.
A hint of trouble in the stretch kept Johannes Brahms from a win in the $1.67 million Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse on May 2, but leaves him a serious contender in Sunday’s $3.34 million Hong Kong Derby for 4-year-olds at Sha Tin.
Johannes Brahms raced behind rivals in the final quarter-mile of the Hong Kong Classic Cup before finishing well. He was beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Rubylot, who is expected to be favored in the Hong Kong Derby.
Senior racehorse owner Colin Lo has been involved in horse racing in Hong Kong since the 1990s and this year he is excited to have his first HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) runner when Bundle Award contests the Classic on Sunday (23 March).
By Leo Schlink
Mark Newnham will rely on My Wish’s adaptability and Luke Ferraris’ tactical expertise to offset barrier 14 in the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 March), while David Hayes is elated with Rubylot’s “perfect” draw of gate four.
Stepping to 2000m for the first time, HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) winner My Wish drew the extreme outside of the 14-horse field, tasking the diminutive gelding with the challenge of emulating Voyage Bubble’s triumph from the same gate in 2023.
By Leo Schlink
Chasing a third HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) victory at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 March), Hugh Bowman notched his 50th win of the season with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (19 March) to continue a blistering form streak.
Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, March 23, 2025)
Race 1: #5 Super Express, #4 Top Dragon, #7 Fortune Boy, #2 Forerunner
Race 2: #5 Divano, #3 Packing Hermod, #2 Young Champion, #1 Healthy Happy
Race 3: #2 Spirit Of Peace, #12 Lucky Sam Gor, #3 Harold Win, #8 Flying Amani
Race 4: #4 Ahren, #1 Enjoy Golf, #3 Parterre, #5 Quick Contribution
Race 5: #9 Endeared, #4 Armour War Eagle, #7 Solid Impact, #6 Everyone’s Star
Rivellino, unbeaten in three starts, including two stakes, may be overlooked in a wide-open running of the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening.
In a full field of 16, Rivellino was 10-1 in early betting on Wednesday. Tempted and Wodeton, both from leading stables, were 9-2 co-favorites, ahead of 7-1 Skyhook.
Paul Lally:
R1: 4-8-10-5
R2: 2-3-1-5
R3: 5-8-1-3
R4: 3-10-5-1
R5: 5-9-1-12
R6: 7-4-8-6
R7: 2-11-1-6
R8: 4-5-11-8
R9: 5-2-4-1
Best Bet: R6 N7 Plentiful
Longshot: R4 N3 Flying Wrote
Play: R5 QQP 1-5-9
Tom Wood:
R1: 4-8-11-10
R2: 3-2-1-5
R3: 1-5-2-6
R5: 1-7-8-12
R6: 9-9-4-6
By Declan Schuster
Aurora Lady (128lb) and Beauty Destiny (125lb) are two of this season’s success stories at Happy Valley and tomorrow night (Wednesday, 19 March) the duo clashes for a second time in a hotly contested HK$2.84 million Class 2 Sports Handicap (1200m).
Both four-time winners at city circuit this term, Aurora Lady and Beauty Destiny have consistently raised the bar throughout the 2024/25 campaign. The pair met last December for the only time with Aurora Lady successful over a fast-closing Beauty Destiny by a short head.
