A field of 10, dominated by American horses, is likely for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31 at Meydan Racecourse.
The Dubai Racing Club on Wednesday released likely fields for the nine races on the World Cup card. Final entries will be drawn and post positions assigned for six of the races on Monday, with the World Cup plus the two $6 million turf races – the Dubai Turf and the Sheema Classic – drawn next Wednesday.
A plane carrying American-based horses from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Dubai for the March 31 Dubai World Cup program is scheduled to depart Tuesday night, and barring last-minute defections, there figure to be 15 horses traveling for this year’s races.
Five are going in the $10 million Dubai World Cup, including certain favorite West Coast, who could give trainer Bob Baffert his fourth World Cup win and second in a row following Arrogate’s unforgettable victory in 2017. Baffert has a second runner, Mubtaahij, who will be joined by Forever Unbridled, Gunnevera, and Pavel.
After an exciting edition of the Hong Kong Derby on Sunday, Wednesday’s card at Happy Valley marks a return to the workaday version of the Hong Kong racing season.
The highest-class fare on an eight race card is a trio of Class 3 handicaps for horses rated 60-80, which in American terms would translate to a lower allowance class. Races 5 and 8 are a one-turn 1,200-meter sprints, while race 7 is carded for 1,650 meters, one circuit around the oblong Happy Valley course. All three races go with full fields of 12.
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, March 21)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
Brett Davis
R1: 1-6-4-11
R2: 3-12-1-8
R3: 8-4-5-1
R4: 6-7-5-8
R5: 7-9-10-8
R6: 2-1-8-11
R7: 12-10-8-3
R8: 3-8-2-6
Best Bet - R5: #7 Back In Black
Longshot - R1: #4 Pearl Furu
Best Play - R6: Trio 1,2/4,7,8,11
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, March 21, 2018)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
RACE 1: #3 Rock The Tree, #11 Holy Unicorn, #6 Wealthy Fortune, #8 Sweet Bean
RACE 2: #4 Goko, #2 Happy Bao Bei, #8 Nice Fandango, #11 Super Euro Star
RACE 3: #2 Little Island ,#7 Play It, #5 Kirov, #11 Yourthewonforme
Ping Hai Star rocketed from last in a 14-horse field to win the $2.3 million Hong Kong Derby on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse.
It was the third Hong Kong Derby win for trainer John Size, who bumped Ping Hai Star up from a series of Class 2 handicaps to the most important age-restricted race in Hong Kong while stretching him out to 2000 meters, about 1 1/4 miles, off a series of 1400-meter (seven-furlong) races. He also tabbed Ryan Moore to pilot Ping Hai Star, and Moore responded with his first Hong Kong Derby victory.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, March 18)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
Brett Davis
R1: 2-1-5-8
R2: 4-12-13-11
R3: 1-6-7-2
R4: 9-1-7-4
R5: 7-1-5-6
R6: 3-9-2-6
R7: 3-1-5-4
R8: 4-2-5-1
R9: 3-6-8-7
R10: 12-1-11-4
Best Bet - R2: #4 Have Fun Together
Longshot - R6: #3 Line Seeker
Best Play - Q/QP 2,3,9
Nothingilikemore was the star of the Hong Kong Classic Mile, Singapore Sling of the Hong Kong Classic Cup, and on Sunday it might be a third horse’s turn to shine in the final leg of Hong Kong’s 4-year-old classic series, the $2.3 million Hong Kong Derby.
The mile of the series’ first leg was too short for him, and the 1800 meters of the Classic Cup was better, but Exultant is back at what appears to be his best distance, 2000 meters, in the Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin.
The duel on the front between Native River and Might Bite in Friday’s Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup turned into a private race in the historic steeplechase in the west of England.
Native River, ridden by leading jump jockey Richard Johnson, led throughout the $871,575 race at 3 5/16 miles to win by 4 1/2 lengths. In the final half-mile, through the last three of 22 fences, Might Bite, the 4-1 favorite, looked to have the advantage from a stalking position but could never get by the leader. The two jumped the last fence together before 5-1 Native River gained a final advantage.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, March 18, 2018)
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis
RACE 1: #7 Red Elysees, #2 City Legend, #1 Let Us Win, #13 Dashing Dart
RACE 2: #9 Yee Cheong Pegasus, #4 Have Fun Together, #2 Mighty Maverick, #10 Horse Prosperous
RACE 3: #1 Pakistan Star, #3 Western Express, #4 Southern Legend, #6 Pingwu Spark
