by Declan Schuster

David Hayes was forced to share victory in last year’s DBS x Manulife Million Challenge but tonight (Wednesday, 26 February) the Australian trainer stood alone as Soleil Fighter carried off with the Class 3 Tsui Man Handicap (1650m) under Ryan Moore.

Heading into the evening on an unmatched 50 points, Soleil Fighter clung on as the market’s dominant 1.4 favourite in the third race thanks to Moore’s urgings, sealing a HK$1 million bonus for connections and the 2024/25 series victory with 65 points.

Tom Wood:

R1:       9-1-8-10

R2:       4-7-8-11

R3:       10-5-6-9

R4:       7-3-12-1

R5:       10-12-3-11

R6:       3-8-1-13

R7:       11-1-9-7

R8:       5-3-4-9

R9:       14-2-11

R10:     5-1-2-3

BEST:               R4 N7 LASERBLANCA (WIN)

VALUE:            R3 N10 STORMI (EW)

PLAY:               R9 QQP 2,11,14

Paul Lally:

Via Sistina, the star in Australia's filly and mare division the last six months, will be an odds-on favorite to win her fifth Group 1 race since late August in Friday’s $625,100 Verry Elleegant Stakes at one mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

Via Sistina was a troubled third in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 15 in her first start since November. She did not have a clear run through the final quarter-mile and was beaten a length by the outstanding filly Fangirl, who is also part of the Verry Elleegant field.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, March 2, 2025)

By Leo Schlink

Mark Newnham is hopeful My Wish’s improving race manners will allow the lightly-framed gelding to continue a barnstorming surge through the Four-Year-Old Classic Series with success in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (2 March).

Weighing only 990lb, My Wish defied more powerfully-built rivals with narrow victory under Luke Ferraris on 31 January in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) – the first leg of the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

By Leo Schlink

Tony Cruz will attempt to win a third HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (2 March) when he saddles Californiatotality and Stunning Peach in the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic series.

With 1,543 wins as a trainer after notching 946 victories as a jockey in Hong Kong, Cruz’s ambition is undiminished and he is confident Californiatotality, who will be ridden by Alexis Badel, and Stunning Peach, who will be partnered by James McDonald, have the quality to contend strongly this weekend.

By Leo Schlink

Returning to Hong Kong for a short-term riding stint, Ryan Moore could determine the outcome of the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (26 February) when the champion jockey partners two of the four horses still in contention for overall success in the series.

Paul Lally:

R1: 3-2-4

R2: 5-10-11-3

R3: 6-1-3-5

R4: 1-4-8-2

R5: 2-4-3-6

R6: 4-5-2-9

R7: 4-7-12-1

R8: 10-6-1-2

R9: 7-2-3-4

Best Bet: R5 N2 Encountered

Longshot: R8 N10 Monta Frutta

Play: R7 QQP 4-7-12

Mark McNamara:

R1:  5.3.2

R2:  8.5.7.3

R3:  3.5.6.2

R4:  8.1.6.4

R5:  4.6.3.2

R6:  2.4.5.1

R7: 7.8.4.1

R8: 2.4.5.6

R9:  2.3.7.4

Happy Valley Selections

(Wednesday, February 26, 2025)

Already a prolific winner in his brief career, Costa Nova won his Grade 1 debut in Sunday’s $1.564 million February Stakes for older horses at one mile on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse, earning a fees-paid berth to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Costa Nova, who paid $10.30 in American pools, was ridden by the Australia-based Rachel King, who is riding in Japan on a short-term license through March 4. King became the first female rider to win a Grade 1 flat race in Japan aboard Costa Nova.