SHA TIN SELECTIONS

Sunday, June 4, 2017

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Brett Davis

Race 1: 3-6-4-5

Race 2: 1-8-3-2

Race 3: 10-1-5-4

Race 4: 7-2-1-5

Race 5: 9-7-6-10

Race 6: 2-6-4-11

Race 7: 4-7-5-2

Race 8: 10-9-2-1

Race 9: 4-14-11-10

Race 10: 2-1-4-8

Ten years ago, a small subset of American horsemen might have tuned in to watch the big races run at the Royal Ascot meeting each June in England.

A decade later, an American trainer with a high-class turf horse thriving during the spring probably is at least considering going to Ascot to race.

It’s getting to the point where there are nearly as many Americans shipping overseas for Royal Ascot as Europeans shipping overseas for the Breeders’ Cup: The American invasion for the Royal meeting that runs June 20-24 could number as many as 15 or 16.

Circuit Land has chased two of the best runners in Hong Kong in recent starts, and may achieve his elusive first group stakes win in Sunday’s Group 3 Lion Rock Trophy at a mile on turf at Sha Tin.

Circuit Land was second in the Group 3 January Cup at the start of the year. More recently, he was third to Rapper Dragon in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy on April 9, and fourth behind Contentment in the Group 1 Champions Mile on May 7. Rapper Dragon captured the Hong Kong Triple Crown for 4-year-olds earlier this year.

More than three years have gone by since Isla Bonita won the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas.

The now-6-year-old horse has lost seven subsequent starts in Grade 1 races, a streak that could end in Sunday’s Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf at Tokyo Racecourse. Isla Bonita is expected to be favored in the $1,817,540 Yasuda Kinen, which drew a field of 18.

The race could have Breeders’ Cup implications. The winner will receive a fees-paid berth in the BC Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 4 if nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.

Brametot, the winner of the French 2000 Guineas at Deauville on May 14, will face a distance test in Sunday’s Group 1 French Derby at 1 5/16 miles at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris.

Brametot has won five of six starts for trainer Jean Claude Rouget and owners Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Augustin-Normand. He is unbeaten in two starts this year at a mile, the longest races of his career – the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at Chantilly on April 16 and the French 2000 Guineas.

Enable turned away the heavily favored Rhododendron in the final quarter-mile and pulled clear through driving rain to win the Group 1 Epsom Oaks by five lengths on Friday at Epsom Downs in England.

Enable gave jockey Frankie Dettori his fourth Oaks win, while trainer John Gosden won the race for the second time in four years, having taken the 2014 edition with Taghrooda. Alluringly finished a distant third, giving trainer Aidan O’Brien the place and show horses, though perhaps small consolation for Rhododendron’s sound defeat.

Trainer John Gosden won his first Epsom Derby in 1997 with Benny the Dip. It took Gosden until 2015 to win his second with Golden Horn, but on Saturday at Epsom Downs, Gosden will send out the co-favored Cracksman with a decent chance to win the Derby for the second time in three years.

Post time for the Derby is 11:30 a.m. Eastern, and the course is expected to be rated “good.”

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, June 4, 2017)

RACE 1: #3 Lucky Master, #4 Riverside Bird, #6 Fantastic Show, #1 A Shin Hoof

RACE 2: #1 Ivictory, #3 Amazing Moment, #4 Noble De Boy, #8 Fine With Me

RACE 3: #3 Ah Bo, #1 Born To Race, #5 Rewarding Flyer, #10 Yourtheoneforme

RACE 4: #7 Jolly Bountiful, #5 Ever Laugh, #3 Endearing, #2 Mordicus

RACE 5: #4 Dinozzo, #7 Rocketeer, #8 Beauty Way, #1 Supreme Profit

Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore group won two classics last weekend, the Irish 2000 Guineas with Churchill and the Irish 1000 Guineas with Winter, and in Rhododendron they have the favorite for another one, the Group 1 Epsom Oaks on Friday in England.

Rhododendron is one of 10 fillies entered to race 1 1/2 miles over a course that took rain earlier this week but was expected to be rated good for the Oaks card, which also includes the Group 1 Coronation Cup for older horses.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(WEDNESDAY, MAY 31)

Brett Davis 

Race 1: 4-7-10-6

Race 2: 1-2-4-6

Race 3: 9-3-5-6

Race 4: 11-3-8-7

Race 5: 5-1-2-9

Race 6: 4-2-5-7

Race 7: 7-3-4-2

Race 8: 3-4-13-12

Best Bet - Race 3: #9  Starlot    

Longshot - Race 4: #7 Imperial Concorde

Best Play - Race 4:  Trio   3-7-8-11

John Blance

Race 1: 4-1-8-10

Race 2: 2-1-12-14

Race 3: 9-6-8-3

Race 4: 6-9-8-3