The two-time stakes winner Tower of London will be favored to win his second appearance in a Grade 1 in Sunday’s $1.879 million NHK Mile for 3-year-olds on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
The races are arriving quickly this spring for Eagle Way, the two-time stakes winner in Hong Kong.
Last Sunday, Eagle Way was third in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Sha Tin Racecourse. This Sunday, Eagle Way will start favored in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Sha Tin.
Trainer John Moore said before the $3.059 million Queen Elizabeth that the two races were on Eagle Way’s agenda, provided the 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding recovered quickly from last week’s race.
Happily soared to the top of Europe’s 2-year-old division with Group 1 wins in Ireland and France in a three-week span last fall. The success did not translate to the United States. Happily finished last as the 2-1 favorite after a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar last November.
Six months after that setback, Happily is nearing her 2018 debut in Sunday’s Group 1 English 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Newmarket Racecourse. The loss in California has not damaged her reputation in Europe.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, May 6, 2018)
RACE 1: #4 Styling City, #5 Quadruple Double, #3 Speed Vision, #6 Romantic Bonanza
RACE 2: #2 Good Choice Ahead, #5 Penzance, #3 The Show, #8 The Legend
RACE 3: #1 Yourthewonforme, #3 Kwaichung Brothers, #9 Otouto, #14 Winningli
RACE 4: #3 Prawn Baba, #1 Eagle Way, #2 Exultant, #8 Goldfield
RACE 5: #8 Super Eighteen, #2 Have Fun Together, #4 Little Bird, #10 Gracious Ryder
Just because Aidan O’Brien won’t be attending the English 2000 Guineas on Saturday does not mean Aidan O’Brien is not winning the 2000 Guineas.
O’Brien will be at Churchill Downs to saddle Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby, but he has the ammunition back in England to knock out a ninth Guineas win.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, May 2)
Brett Davis
R1: 4-3-10-9
R2: 6-4-13-1
R3: 4-10-6-2
R4: 6-2-7-5
R5: 2-1-6-11
R6: 9-6-3-1
R7: 14-2-11-13
R8: 4-7-10-5
Best Bet - R5: #2 Lotus Breeze
Longshot - R7: #11 Marqula
Best Play - R6: Quin 3,6,9
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, May 2, 2018)
RACE 1: #4 Fantastic Fabio, #5 Rochford, #12 Catchmeifyoucan, #9 Corre Rapido
RACE 2: #7 Rock The Tree, #2 Glenealy Prize, #1 Sempiternal, #6 Double Point
RACE 3: #1 Giddy Giddy, #6 Goldie Flanker, #2 Most Beautiful, #5 Elite Spirit
RACE 4: #6 Calculation, #2 Classic Emperor, #4 Fight Hero, #7 Divine Boy
RACE 5: #11 Starlot, #2 Lotus Breeze, #3 Bond Elegance, #4 Gallant Return
Classic Emperor was having a fine winter season in Hong Kong before he was sent to Dubai earlier this year. In two starts at Meydan Racecourse, Classic Emperor unseated his rider in his first start in February and finished eighth in his next appearance in March.
Classic Emperor is back in Hong Kong and on his preferred surface in Wednesday’s $236,981 Victoria Racing Club Trophy at about a mile and 50 yards on the dirt course at Sha Tin.
Rainbow Line, the Grade 2 winner of a turf marathon in Japan in March, won the first Grade 1 race in Sunday’s spring running of the $2.66 million Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, but was vanned off after the race when he showed signs of lameness in a foreleg.
Rainbow Line (5-1) won the Tenno Sho at two miles by a neck over 2-1 favorite Cheval Grand. Ridden by Yasunari Iwata, Rainbow Line closed from the back of the field of 17 and fought his way through traffic to catch stretch leader Cheval Grand in the final furlong.