John Gosden showed up at Claridge’s Hotel on Tuesday in London as trainer of Cracksman, whose International Federation of Horseracing Authorities rating of 130 last year made him the co-third-highest-rated horse in the Longines World Thoroughbred Rankings for 2017.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, January 24)

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

Brett Davis
Race 1: 2-7-10-3
Race 2: 3-6-7-2
Race 3: 1-6-11-8
Race 4: 4-13-6-7
Race 5: 4-12-5-8
Race 6: 12-1-7-9
Race 7: 3-12-2-7
Race 8: 6-1-7-5
Best Bet - Race 3: #1 Amazing Race  
Longshot - Race 4: #7 Happy Out There
Best Play - Race 2: Q/QP 3,6,7

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, January 24, 2018)

RACE 1: #12 Hello Kimberley, #2 Fantastic Fabio, #1 Sky Treasure, #10 Dynamic Lions

RACE 2: #1 Elite Spirit, #6 Kirov, #5 Bond Elegance, #3 Happy Happy Star       

RACE 3: #3 Star Superior, #1 Amazing Race, #5 Hearts Keeper, #11 Winning Supreme

RACE 4: #2 Glenealy Prize, #6 Victory Follow Me, #13 Rainbow Gold, #4 Furious Pegasus

Big Time Baby has struggled in turf races since arriving in Hong Kong in 2017, losing five starts. On the all-weather track at Sha Tin Racecourse, however, Big Time Baby has been more comfortable, with a win and a second in two races.

Those performances make Big Time Baby a 4-year-old gelding to follow in Wednesday’s $167,557 Egret Handicap at six furlongs on the all-weather surface at Sha Tin. The eight-race program is run entirely on the all-weather surface.

The Egret Handicap drew a field of 14, but will have a safety limit of 12 starters.

Nothingilikemore delivered what his form had promised, scoring a decisive win Sunday at Sha Tin in the $1,279,400 Hong Kong Classic Mile.

The Classic Mile is the first leg of Hong Kong’s important 4-year-old classic series, and whether Nothingilikemore can get 2,000 meters, or about 1 1/4 miles, in the Hong Kong Derby remains to be seen, but for now, he is the best locally based miler of his generation, and he showed it Sunday.

On official ratings, Sunday’s $1,279,400 Hong Kong Classic Mile is Nothingilikemore’s race to lose.

The first leg of the 4-year-old classic series culminating in the Hong Kong Derby, the Hong Kong Mile has a full field of 12. The race, contested around one turn at Sha Tin Racecourse, is the ninth of 10 Sunday with post time scheduled for 5:10 a.m. Eastern.

Comicas, a Kentucky-bred gelding by Distorted Humor, won the first stakes of his career in Thursday’s Group 3 Dubawi Stakes at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

The race is likely to produce a few domestic runners for the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint on March 31.

Ridden by William Buick, Comicas stalked early pacesetter Yalta before taking the lead in the final sixteenth of the $175,000 race at about six furlongs. Muarrab, who was always near the front and led in the stretch, finished second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

RACE 1: #5 Thou Shall Sing, #12 Hot Hot Pepper, #11 Beaut Beaut, #3 Noble Delight

RACE 2: #2 Amritsaria, #7 Sweet Bean, #1 Audacity, #8 Fair Comment

RACE 3: #2 Healthy Joyful, #1 Biz Power, #9 Intrepic, #13 Energetic Class

RACE 4: #13 Destin, #1 Travel Emperor, #5 Lucky Time, #9 Red Elysees

RACE 5: #1 Sun Touch, #5 Brilliant Dream, #7 Empire Star, #2 Avellino

RACE 6: #7 Super Hoppy, #6 Hard Promise, #9 Infinity Endeavour, #12 California Archer

There seems to be no quit in the 12-year-old gelding Reynaldothewizard.

At an age when many runners have long been retired, Reynaldothewizard will have his first start of the year in Thursday’s Group 3 Group Dubawi Stakes at about six furlongs on dirt at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

Reynaldothewizard is capable of winning the $175,000 Dubawi Stakes, which drew a field of seven. Reynaldothewizard, a Kentucky-bred by Speightstown, will start from the rail and will be ridden by Richard Mullen.

Arm Runda won back-to-back Happy Valley Class 4 handicaps during the 2016-2017 Hong Kong racing season, and he will try to win his second straight Happy Valley Class 3 in the $167,444 Hong Kong Challenge Cup on Wednesday night.

The sixth of eight races on the Happy Valley card, the Hong Kong Challenge Cup, contested around one turn at 1,200 meters (about six furlongs), is among three Class 3's that close the program.