Limitless salvaged his 2017-18 Hong Kong season with a victory in a handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse on July 4, days before the circuit had its summer break.
The 2018-19 season began earlier this month and Limitless will have his first start of the new campaign in Wednesday’s $248,423 Wan Fu Handicap at about a mile and 50 yards at Happy Valley. The last of eight races, the Wan Fu Handicap is a race Limitless is capable of winning for trainer Caspar Fownes.
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, September 12, 2018)
RACE 1: #2 Sweet Bean, #6 Wealthy Fortune, #5 Eastern Prowess, #1 Proud Sky
RACE 2: #1 All You Need, #2 London City, #3 Pakistan Baby, #12 Super Euro Star
RACE 3: #5 Sleep Education, #4 Super Form, #2 Friends Of Ka Ying, #9 Faithful Trinity
RACE 4: #1 Mr Picasso, #2 Victory Power, #11 Applause, #8 Captain Boss
Recoletos grabbed the lead in the final strides to win his second Group 1 race of 2018 with Sunday’s $520,290 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in Paris.
Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Recoletos (the 5-2 favorite) closed from a few lengths off the pace to catch 7-1 Wind Chimes at the wire. Recoletos won by a head over Wind Chimes, a 3-year-old filly who was third in the French 1,000 Guineas in May.
Eleven months after her last race, Enable still is plenty able.
In her first start since winning the 2017 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Enable took a long stride toward winning a second straight Arc when she turned away the good colt Crystal Ocean and bounded to a 3 1/2-length victory in the Group 3 September Stakes on Saturday over the all-weather track at Kempton Park.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, September 9)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
Brett Davis
R1: 1-7-4-9
R2: -2-3-4
R3: 1-5-2-3
R4: 6-2-9-5
R5: 5-9-1-6
R6: 10-2-6-1
R7: 5-3-4-10
R8: 2-1-5-4
R9: 10-7-1-6
R10: 11-1-9-5
Best Bet – R5: #5 My Winner
Longshot – R4: #9 Loaded
Best Play – R3: Trio 1 /2,3,5,8
Andrew Le Jeune
It’s old-timers day Sunday at Sha Tin.
Just five horses were entered in the featured second race, the $334,371 Kwangtung Handicap Cup, and four of them are either 7-year-olds or 8-year-olds. Rattan, 5, is the youngster in the bunch and so spry is he that trainer Richard Gibson runs him back on just a week’s rest.
Lightning Spear has been one of the top turf milers in England this year, winning the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 1 and finishing second or third in Group 1 miles at Newbury and Royal Ascot in May and June.
On Sunday, Lightning Spear will race in France for the first time in 12 months in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, France’s final Group 1 race for turf milers this year. The $520,290 race drew a field of 11, including the French Group 1 winner Recoletos and the improving English 3-year-old Expert Eye.
The best horse racing anywhere in the world this weekend can be found in an unlikely spot.
Enable, the awesome winner of the 2017 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, makes her first start of 2018 over the all-weather track at Kempton Park in England on Saturday.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, September 9, 2018)
RACE 1: #7 Hot Hot Pepper, #9 Ruminare, #2 Show Mission, #1 Master Viking
RACE 2: #5 Rattan, #3 Romantic Touch, #2 Jolly Banner, #1 Horse Of Fortune
RACE 3: #6 Patriot Hero, #2 Friends Of Ka Ying, #3 Cheerful Giggles, #1 Circuit Number Two
RACE 4: #9 Loaded, #11 Magic Agility, #6 Otouto, #8 Golden Cannon
RACE 5: #1 Endearing, #5 My Winner, #6 Witness Hunter, #9 Shining On
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, September 5)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
Brett Davis
R1: 8-1-6-3
R2: 4-8-5-7
R3: 5-8-1-2
R4: 4-3-1-8
R5: 5-4-1-7
R6: 11-8-6-1
R7: 8-4-2-1
R8: 5-3-9-11
Best Bet – R6: #11 Phantom Falcon
Longshot – R1: #8 Eastern Prowess
Best Play – R2: Q/Qp 4,5,8
Paul Lally
R1: 2-5-1-6
R2: 5-4-2-3
