In the last two years, Cheval Grand has finished third and second in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at two miles at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, losing both times to Kitasan Black. Sunday, Cheval Grand will be favored to win the $2.66 million Tenno Sho, a race that conveniently will not include his rival, who is now at stud.

The two met as recently as December, when Kitasan Black and Cheval Grand were first and third in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen, the final big race in Japan each year.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, April 29, 2018)

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

RACE 1: #2 Great Joy, #3 Bullish Glory, #5 Ever Laugh, #6 Garlic Yeah

RACE 2: #7 Multi Facets, #12 Royal Mojito, #14 Starship, #13 Intrepic

RACE 3: #13 General Dino, #3 Shamport, #5 Famous Warrior, #2 New Elegance

RACE 4: #10 What Else But You, #1 Winner’s Way, #4 Jolly Banner, #9 Racing Supernova

HONG KONG – There are plenty of horses based at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong larger than Seasons Bloom, who will start favored in Sunday’s Group 1 Champions Mile here. In recent starts, Seasons Bloom’s weight has ranged from 1,029 to 1,044, modest by most equine standards, and on Thursday trainer Danny Shum said Seasons Bloom weighed 1,037.

“He’s not a big horse,” he said. “He has a big heart.”

HONG KONG – Since the first week of January, Ping Hai Star has won four straight races. Ping Hai Star won three consecutive minor handicaps in less than two months and his stakes debut in the $2.29 million Hong Kong Derby for 4-year-olds on March 18. Despite never having run in a group stakes, Ping Hai Star will be favored in Sunday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse.

With a purse of $3.06 million, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 1/4 miles on turf is the second-richest race of the year in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG – The business structure of Hong Kong racing forced jockey Sam Clipperton to act fast to gain the mount on Mr Stunning for Sunday’s Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Through Wednesday afternoon, word circulated through the Hong Kong racing community that Mr Stunning’s jockey Nash Rawiller was under investigation for betting on two horses that he rode and for accepting compensation for providing tips on his mounts. By the end of the afternoon, Rawiller, who ranked third in the jockey standings, had been suspended for 15 months.

HONG KONG – The field for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai was behind the starting gate on March 31 when the complexion of the race changed. Blue Point, the favorite, had blood coming from one of his nostrils and had to be scratched.

Moments later, Jungle Cat won the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, the owner of Blue Point. Jungle Cat and Blue Point are part of a strong group of turf sprinters for Godolphin, which includes Fine Needle, who won the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen March 25 in Japan.

HONG KONG - Hong Kong jockey Nash Rawiller was suspended 15 months on Wednesday after betting on two horses that he rode and for accepting compensation for providing tips on his mounts, according to a statement released by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The suspension takes immediate effect and runs through July 25, 2019, and comes days before the 43-year-old Rawiller was scheduled to ride expected favorite Mr Stunning in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday. 

HONG KONG - Beauty Only won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile in 2016, but was nearly retired earlier this year after a series of disappointing races.

A nose win in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy on April 8 ended that discussion and put Beauty Only on schedule for the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trained by Tony Cruz, Beauty Only was beaten a nose in the 2017 Champions Mile when ridden by Zac Purton.

Neil Callan, a 39-year-old from Ireland, has the mount on Sunday, which will be the 19th time he has been aboard Beauty Only.

HONG KONG – The last few days have been physically tough on a few jockeys in Hong Kong.

Last Saturday at Sha Tin Racecourse, Alberto Sanna suffered a dislocated shoulder while striking his mount with a whip en route to a fourth-place finish. Tuesday, jockey Tommy Berry was unseated when his mount collapsed and died during a six-furlong workout at Sha Tin.

Both were at the track on Wednesday morning. Berry rode Fine Needle in a workout in advance of Sunday’s Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, April 25)

Brett Davis
R1: 9-5-7-4
R2: 4-6-10-1
R3: 6-7-5-4
R4: 3-2-5-4
R5: 1-6-5-9
R6: 5-1-10-2
R7: 10-12-1-9
R8: 2-10-5-7
Best Bet - R7: #10 Jolly Gains  
Longshot - R5: #6 People's Champion
Best Play - R3: Q/Qp 5,6,7