Cracksman was narrowly beaten in the English and Irish derbies earlier this year. He lost the English Derby by a length on June 3 and four weeks later was second by a neck in the Irish Derby.

Cracksman has not lost since, winning two Group 2 races in England and France which have vaulted him to greater prominence in the European 3-year-old division.

Saturday at Ascot Racecourse in England, Cracksman will be favored to win his first Group 1 race in the $1.71 million Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, October 22, 2017)

RACE 1: #6 Lucky Time, #13 Nice Fandango, #8 Ocean Elite, #1 California Aspar

RACE 2: #1 Morethanlucky, #6 Ambitious Pins, #4 Great Treasure, #2 First Fontein

RACE 3: #1 Beloved, #3 Unbeatable Guts, #5 Wingold, #13 Bliss Cartel

RACE 4: #4 Green Energy, #1 Circuit Hassler, #12 Experto Crede, #6 Razor Quest

Trainer Aidan O’Brien will start Johannes Vermeer in the $2,353,200 Caulfield Cup in Australia in an attempt to match the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel’s 2003 mark of 25 Grade 1 or Group 1 wins in a season.

As of Wednesday, Johannes Vermeer was the 7-2 favorite in a field of 17. The race has a post time of 1:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, and 10:30 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

Brett Davis:

R1 - 7-8-11-4
R2 - 6-4-5-2
R3 - 4-6-2-1
R4 - 12-2-3-6
R5 - 3-2-12-9
R6 - 6-10-4-3
R7 - 10-1-7-2
R8 - 7-1-9-6

Best - R2 n6 Cheerfuljet
Longshot - R4 n12 Happy Friendship
Best Play - R5 Trio 3/2,4,9,12

Paul Lally:

R1 5-7-3-8
R2 6-1-5-2
R3 6-4-10-1
R4 2-3-5-1
R5 2-3-12-7
R6 6-1-4-5
R7 1-4-10-3
R8 1-12-7-6

Best Bet R7 Fantastic Feeling
Longshot R8 Quick Return
Best Play 1-4-10 QQp

Best Step, the 4-year-old gelding, has become a different horse the last six months in Hong Kong.

After losing his first three career starts, including one race by a nose, Best Step has won three of his last four races, rising in class in Hong Kong’s handicap ratings. Best Step will start as a logical selection Wednesday in the first division of the $167,793 Queen’s Road Central Handicap at six furlongs on turf at Happy Valley Racecourse.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, October 18, 2017)

RACE 1: #2 Winfull Patrol, #4 Winning Controller, #7 Haymaker, #8 Rocket Let Win

RACE 2: #6 Cheerfuljet, #1 Great Joy, #8 Mr Kool, #5 Beauty Connection

RACE 3: #1 Grand Harbour, #2 Istanbul Bey, #6 Polymer Luck, #4 Wah May Baby

RACE 4: #3 Fruitful Life, #2 Gold Velvet, #7 Sweet Bean, #1 Audacity

Aidan O’Brien got his 24th Group 1 win of the season as U S Navy Flag led an O’Brien-trained sweep of the top four places in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday at Newmarket.

U S Navy Flag was near or on the lead from the start and never was threatened through the final furlong, coming home 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 50-1 runner-up Mendelssohn. Seahenge finished another 2 1/2 lengths back in third and was a head better than Threeandfourpence.

Redzel’s tactical advantage over Vega Magic proved the difference Saturday at Royal Randwick in the world’s richest turf race.

Sitting a perfect pressing trip under Kerrin McEvoy, Redzel took command of the $7,774,000 Everest Stakes 300 meters out, winning by just less than one length. Vega Magic was a neck better than longshot Brave Smash in third, as Chautauqua, whose good finish came too late, was three-quarters farther back in fourth.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14)

Brett Davis
Race 1: 5-1-2-9
Race 2: 4-3-12-7
Race 3: 6-14-1-9
Race 4: 12-7-4-2
Race 5: 5-8-6-9
Race 6: 5-1-2-4                                             
Race 7: 10-5-7-9
Race 8: 3-13-5-9
Race 9: 7-5-10-8
Race 10: 10-8-3-14
Best Bet - Race 2: #4   Empire Star  
Longshot - Race 5: #6 Penzance
Best Play - Race 7   Trio 10/5,7,9,11

Laurens won the tightest of photos over September to capture the Group 1 Fillies Mile on Friday at Newmarket.

Magic Lily finished third with favored Magical a one-paced fourth under Ryan Moore. Magical and September both are trained by Aidan O’Brien, who scratched likely favorite Happily from the Fillies Mile, a seven-furlong straight course race for 2-year-old fillies, earlier Friday. Happily is a possible runner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, though O’Brien has other candidates for that race.