Werther, the Horse of the Year in Hong Kong in 2015-16, won Sunday’s Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, a race in which he was a close third in 2016.

The victory led trainer John Moore to consider Werther for two Group 1 races in December – the Hong Kong Cup at 1 1/4 miles on turf or the Hong Kong Vase at 1 1/2 miles on turf – that are part of Hong Kong’s international day of racing.

Rey de Oro rebounded from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in April to win the first Grade 1 race of his career in Sunday’s $3,881,052 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Rey de Oro was ridden by Christophe Lemaire for trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. They combined to win the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks on May 21 with Soul Stirring.

Rey de Oro (4-1) raced at the back of the field of 18 for the first half-mile before Lemaire urged him into contention, taking the lead on the backstretch.

Through the Coolmore operation, Aidan O’Brien every year is given some of the most talented horses in the world to train. O’Brien himself has shown himself again and again to be a remarkable trainer. Given the circumstances, it should come as little surprise O’Brien wins so many top races, but his accomplishments the last two calendar years still seem remarkable.

Churchill added a second classic to his sparking portfolio Saturday at The Curragh when he proved much the best in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

Three weeks ago Churchill won the English 2000 Guineas by one length, and on Saturday he was 2 1/2 lengths better than Thunder Snow in the Irish equivalent. Irishcorrespondent, who appeared to be going nowhere three furlongs out, rallied mildly for a distant third.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS 

(SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2017)

Brett Davis 

Race 1: 4-2-6-8

Race 2: 5-4-7-1

Race 3: 2-5-3-7

Race 4: 1-12-7-10

Race 5: 4-1-8-9

Race 6: 4-2-11-6

Race 7: 6-1-4-7

Race 8: 7-9-1-5

Race 9: 4-5-7-3

Race 10: 13-9-7-10

Best Bet - Race 3: #2 Ambitious Pins  

Longshot - Race 9: #5 Super Leader

Best Play - Race 9: Q/QP   4,5,7

Paul Lally

Race 1: 4-2-6-3

Race 2: 5-11-4-1

Admirable is unbeaten in three starts since early May, rising through the ranks in Japan from a maiden race winner to a graded stakes winner.

The rapid success leaves Admirable as the expected favorite in a field of 18 colts in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse. Admirable drew the outside post for his first start since a win in the Grade 2 Hai Aoba Sho at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Tokyo on April 29.

“He’s had three races in fairly quick succession,” trainer Hidetaka Otonashi told Japan Racing Association publicity earlier this week.

The filly Winter won the English 1000 Guineas over her favored stablemate, Rhododendron, at odds of close to 10-1 but won’t sneak up on anyone Sunday at The Curragh, where Winter bids for a second classic victory in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas.

Werther was one of three horses on the finish line together in the Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong last May. The problem for Werther was that he was third, beaten noses by Blazing Speed and Victory Magic.

A year later, Blazing Speed and Werther are back for Sunday’s $1,283,416 Champions and Chater Cup at 1 1/2 miles on turf, the final Group 1 race of the 2016-17 Hong Kong season.

It was not the eminently quotable Winston Churchill who first noted that “discretion is the better part of valor,” but that is the sentiment guiding the management of the excellent 3-year-old colt named after him.

As soon as Churchill – the horse – won the English 2000 Guineas on May 6, there was widespread assumption that the colt would go on to the Epsom Derby. But as another statesman, contemporary and not historical, might say: “Wrong!”

 SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, May 28, 2017)

RACE 1: #3 Volitation, #2 Green Dispatch, #6 Lotus Strikes Back, #4 Jolly Gene

RACE 2: #1 Gallant Rock, #7 Indigenous Star, #5 Zero Hedge, #4 Nice Fandango

RACE 3: #4 Happy And Healthy, #2 Ambitious Pins, #1 Vara Pearl, #9 Gold Velvet

RACE 4: #2 Sunny Way, #10 Sir Redalot, #1 Mighty Maverick, #13 Wushu Champion

RACE 5: #4 My Darling, #1 Midnight Rattler, #10 Baba Mama, #8 Hang's Decision