CHELTENHAM, England – Cue Card, Djakadam and Native River were 7-2 co-favorites with bookmakers on Wednesday to win Friday’s Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup for steeplechasers at 3 5/16 miles at Cheltenham Racecourse.
They inherited the role as much as earned it.
Brett Davis
R1 - 4-3-2-1
R2 - 8-4-11-2
R3 - 2-1-9-5
R4 - 1-4-3-11
R5 - 1-10-6-4
R6 - 12-11-2-1
R7 - 9-1-7-10
R8 - 5-8-1-10
Best - R3 n2 Royale Elegance
Longshot - R4 n1 Happy Journey
Best Play - R4 Q/QP 1,4,3
Paul Lally – Selection
R1 1-4-2-3
R2 8-4-6-2
R3 9-3-1-2
R4 5-2-11-1
R5 7-10-4-8
R6 12-2-10-11
R7 10-8-9-7
R8 8-10-3-1
Speedy Longwah was found to have an irregular heartbeat after a last-place finish in a minor handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in late November. The condition has been successfully treated. In three subsequent starts, Speedy Longwah has returned to win, finish third, and finish a troubled sixth in his last start.
On Sunday at Sha Tin, Speedy Longwah is a 131-pound joint topweight in the $225,376 Cymbidium Handicap at about a mile on the all-weather track. The race will be a new test for Speedy Longwah, his first start on the surface in his 23rd start.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, March 12, 2017)
RACE 1: #2 Equity Doctrine, #3 Speedy Wally, #4 Five Stars Agent, #5 Jimson The Famous
RACE 2: #2 Vital Spring, #4 Torney, #1 Shamal, #7 Packing Starcraft
RACE 3: #4 Destin, #1 Care Free Prince, #7 Meisterstueck, #13 Fine With Me
RACE 4: #1 Penang Hall, #9 Penny Lane, #13 G-One Lover, #5 Team Sweet
RACE 5: #1 Fancy Music, #9 Garlic Yeah, #3 Premium Champion, #4 Blazing Pass
Andrew Le Jeune:
R1: 7-2-3-10
R2: 2-3-8-7
R3: 1-3-7-6
R4: 4-2-7-1
R5: 3-10-1-8
R6: 5-4-2-6
R7: 4-7-6-3
R8: 3-5-9-2
Best: R2 N2 Beauty Connection
Long: R8 N5 Lucky Day
Play: Q/QP R8 3-5-9
Paul Lally:
R1 7-3-8-11
R2 6-2-3-5
R3 7-5-3-1
R4 4-2-9-3
R5 4-8-10-3
R6 12-5-1-11
R7 7-3-4-6
R8 3-9-2-8
Best Bet R7 N7 Happy Rocky
Longshot r2 N6 lunar zephyr
Best play qqp R7 3x4x7
Jockey Joao Moreira won eight races on Sunday’s 11-race program at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, a record for a single program in Hong Kong. Moreira had 10 mounts on the program.
The previous mark of six wins on a single program in Hong Kong was shared by Brett Prebble, Douglas Whyte, and Moreira.
“I really don’t have words to describe it,” Moreira told Hong Kong publicity. “It’s amazing. I didn’t expect it to happen, to be honest. To ride eight winners in a day here in Hong Kong is more than special.”
It had been a long, long time since Long River won a race, but the 7-year-old American expatriate, perhaps with an assist from a speed-favoring racing surface, finally broke through Saturday at Meydan in the Group 1, $400,000 al Maktoum Challenge Round 3.
