Field of Play has earned approximately $184,600 by winning his first two starts in Australia since late December. A chunk of that was needed to pay a supplemental fee of more than $34,000 to make the gelding eligible to Friday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.
The $1.28 million Blue Diamond Stakes was not originally a goal for Field of Play. Early nominations closed in 2024.
No Laurel River, winner of the Dubai World Cup and the highest-rated horse in the world last year. No Sierra Leone, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion 3-year-old male last year in America. No White Abarrio, smashing winner of the Pegasus World Cup, and no Locked, the on-the-come 4-year-old second to him in the Pegasus.
All those defections yet the $20 million Saudi Cup, the richest horse race in the world, still packs juice.
It was in Maryland during May of 2023 that it became evident Straight No Chaser had world-class sprint talent. And if Straight No Chaser can win the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, he can reasonably be called the best dirt sprinter in the world.
By Leo Schlink
Ricky Yiu believes Voyage Bubble is perfectly poised to extend a dominating season after drawing barrier one in the HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 February).
Bidding for a fourth Group 1, Voyage Bubble will face nine rivals – Galaxy Patch, Chancheng Glory, Ensued, Happy Together, Straight Arron, Five G Patch, La City Blanche, Sword Point and Winning Dragon – in quest a 10th career victory.
Fresh from a double last weekend, Andrea Atzeni will resume his quest for top-level Hong Kong success when he partners Beauty Eternal and Sword Point at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 February) in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), respectively.
With 31 Group 1 triumphs spread across his native Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, Atzeni boasts 1,372 wins in a globe-trotting career but he is yet to strike at the elite level in Hong Kong, where he has amassed 74 victories.
David Hayes hopes Soleil Fighter can lay the platform for a memorable week by building an unassailable lead in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (19 February) as the dual Hong Kong champion trainer prepares to unleash Ka Ying Rising in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 February).
Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, February 19, 2025)
Race 1: #10 Hoss, #6 Winning Heart, #8 Same To You, #5 Talents Supremo
Race 2: #2 Perfect General, #1 Golden Luck, #7 Golden Friendship, #5 Our Lucky Glory
Race 3: #3 Lucky Archangel, #2 Fortune Whiskey, #4 Motoman, #6 One For All
Race 4: #1 Flying Fortress, #7 Wah May Wai Wai, #9 Firefoot, #5 Thesis
Race 5: #5 Champion Method, #6 Parents’ Love, #3 Allgreektome, #1 Grand Nova
Laurel River, smashing winner of the 2024 Dubai World Cup, is the latest defection from the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 22.
Laurel River’s trainer, Bhupat Seemar, posted on social media that Laurel River had suffered a minor setback that prevented him from undertaking his final breeze before the Saudi Cup. Seemar said Laurel River instead would be aimed to the Dubai World Cup on April 5.
