SYDNEY – Via Sistina, the odds-on favorite to win her seventh Group 1 race since late August in Friday’s $3.08 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse, is beatable.

It just does not happen often.

Since she was purchased for approximately $3.5 million in Britain in December 2023, Via Sistina has won 7 of 10 starts. In the last nine months, since the start of the current Australian season, Via Sistina has won six Group 1 races ranging in distances from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.

Mark McNamara:

R1 | 2.10.3.1

R2 | 2.11.4.8.

R3 | 2.3.11.8

R4 | 10.11.1.12

R5 | 2.4.3.1

R6 | 8.1.6.9

R7 | 3.9.5.4

R8 | 11.8.7.10

R9 | 7.4.8.9

Best Bet R9 N7 Storm Rider

Longshot R7 N3 Casa Rochester

Play R7 Q/QP 3.5.9

Nick Child:

R1 | 3-2-10-11

R2 | 11-4-8-5

R3 | 7-2-9-11

R4 | 10-2-5-1

R5 | 4-8-5-2

R6 | 8-3-9-6

R7 | 8-4-5-1

R8 | 11-10-7-8

R9 | 4-7-8-12

An in-form David Eustace hopes Colourful King (128lb) can continue to advance when the three-year-old contests the Class 3 Hong Kong China Rugby Cup Handicap (1000m) under Andrea Atzeni on Wednesday night (9 March) at Happy Valley.

Eustace revelled in a first Hong Kong treble on Sunday (7 April) at Sha Tin and the 32-year-old is eyeing more momentum when he saddles four runners – Brave Witness, Colourful King, Jumbo Fortune and Charity Together – at tomorrow’s nine-race card.

Happy Valley Selections
Wednesday, April 09, 2025)

Bellagio Opera accented his second consecutive win in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan on Sunday with a course record of 1:56.40 for 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Bellagio Opera raced slightly off the pace in a field of 15 before moving closer to the front in early stretch. Ridden by Kazuo Yokoyama, Bellagio Opera (who paid $7.40 in American pools as the favorite) took the lead with a furlong remaining and finished a length in front of 6-1 Lord Del Rey. Yoho Lake (16-1) finished third, beaten two lengths.

Even the third-string steeplechasers trained by Willie Mullins are stars.

On Saturday at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, Nick Rockett ($71.40) won the Grade 1 Grand National Steeplechase, beating stablemate I Am Maximus, who won the 2024 running.

Mullins swept the top three positions in the 34-runner field when 44-1 Grangeclere West finished third. He is the first person to achieve the milestone in the famous race, first run in 1839.

The world saw on Saturday why Danon Decile was Japan’s champion 3-year-old male of 2024.

In his first appearance outside of Japan, Danon Decile won the Group 1 Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, catching deep stretch leader, and 8-5 favorite, Calandagan in the final sixteenth.

Danon Decile, who paid $21.60 in American pools, won the $6 million Sheema Classic by 1 1/4 lengths to give Japanese-based runners a third win on the Dubai World Cup program. Earlier, Admire Daytona won the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby and Soul Rush won the Group 1 Dubai Turf.

In his first start away from the Far East, the Japanese 7-year-old Soul Rush caught the heavily favored Romantic Warrior in the last stride to win the Group 1 Dubai Turf at 1 1/8 miles at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Saturday.

Romantic Warrior, the 1-5 favorite in American pools and widely recognized as one of the world’s finest runners, appeared on his way to win before Soul Rush closed ground steadily through the final sixteenth to win the $5 million Dubai Turf by a nose.

Dark Saffron, a 3-year-old and the third-longest shot in a field of 11, led throughout Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Shaheen for sprinters at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai to win his first stakes against a top-class field.

Straight No Chaser, who won the Eclipse Award as the champion sprinter of 2024, could only finish eighth, beaten nine lengths as the even-money favorite in American pools.

Stefi Magnetica ended a six-race losing streak since June with an upset victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, beating a field of 19 that included Moira, who won the Eclipse Award winner as the champion turf female of 2024.

Moira had her first start in the Australia in the $2.51 Doncaster Mile, and first start since a win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar last November. Moira finished 14th in the Doncaster Mile, beaten slightly less than five lengths, after racing in 12th early.