A victory in a one-mile handicap on April 30 will make Eastern Express an attractive proposition for bettors in Sunday’s $224,883 Lotus Handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong. The presence of leading rider Joao Moreira only strengthens the Irish-bred gelding’s credentials.
Eastern Express will carry top weight of 133 pounds in the Lotus Handicap, the last of 10 races. Wagering is available on DRFBets.com.
Ribchester is the deserving favorite Saturday at Newbury in the first major one-mile race of the European season, the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes.
The Lockinge is run down a straight course and is considered a somewhat testing mile. The ground at Newbury was rated good-to-soft as of Thursday, with eight horses set to oppose Ribchester, whose prime rivals appear to be Galileo Gold, Lightning Spear, and Somehow.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, May 21, 2017)
RACE 1: #12 The Full Bloom, #5 Sunny Orient, #3 Jumbo Luck, #4 London City
RACE 2: #6 Winner St Paul's, #5 Fortune Brothers, #9 Snowhooves, #1 Giddy Giddy
RACE 3: #2 Endearing, #6 Spring Win, #3 Harbour Nova, #7 Accession Years
RACE 4: #1 Fancy Music, #3 Gorgeous Again, #8 Cool Brothers, #10 Premium Champion
Brett Davis - Selections
R1 9-3-2-8
R2 7-5-2-9
R3 3-9-2-5
R4 1-8-6-2
R5 2-3-12-11
R6 2-1-10-8
R7 7-2-4-6
R8 12-6-2-3
Best - R2 N7 Always Wongchoy
Longshot - R4 N1 Amazing Gold
Best Play - R4 Q/QP 1,6,8
Paul Lally:
R1 3-8-9-10
R2 1-5-7-2
R3 5-8-3-9
R4 7-2-12-5
R5 11-3-4-2
R6 1-8-9-4
R7 4-7-1-2
R8 2-12-5-14
Best Bet R5 N11 Victory Machine
Longshot R6 N8 Sight Seeing
QQP-Race7 1-4-7
Soundness issues have prevented JetWings from a full campaign in Hong Kong in recent months. When JetWings does appear in the entries, the 5-year-old commands attention.
Wednesday at Happy Valley Racecourse, JetWings will have his third start of the season in the $224,696 France Galop Cup Handicap at six furlongs on turf. This will be his first start since a win in a minor handicap at Happy Valley on March 15. JetWings was entered in a handicap on April 26, but was withdrawn because of lameness in his left foreleg.
Brametot came charging out of the back of the pack from the stand’s side and converged in the final yards with Le Brivido, who was running on the opposite side of the Deauville course. The two 3-year-olds came together in the final half-furlong of the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains on Sunday, and Brametot came away with a nose victory.
The unheralded Precieuse proved much the best Saturday at Deauville in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliche, the French 1000 Guineas, running out a 1 3/4-length winner over English raider Sea of Grace.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Heuristique in third, with Wajnah another head behind in fourth. Aidan O’Brien ran fifth and sixth with Rain Goddess and Roly Poly, while the favored Senga was on or near the lead about a quarter-mile out before quickly being swarmed by better-traveling runners and checking in a well-beaten 10th.
Mikki Queen, the winner of the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks in 2015, had a quiet 2016 season at 4, going winless in four starts, all Grade 1 or Grade 2 races in Japan.
Her 2017 season at 5 is off to a much brighter start, with a win in the Group 2 Hanshin Himba Stakes on April 8. The victory has led to hopes Mikki Queen can win her fourth graded stakes in Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse.
Brametot is the mild ante-post betting favorite for Sunday’s Group 1 French 2000 Guineas, but the straight-course mile at Deauville with a 13-strong field could fall in several different directions.
Brametot was conservatively managed last year at age 2 by trainer Jean-Claude Rouget – who never has won the French Guineas– winning three of four starts while kept to maiden and conditions races. But Rouget rolled Brametot out for his 3-year-old debut in the Group 3 Prix Fontainebleau last month at Chantilly, and Brametot impressed.
