Local experience may help Dabyah win the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Newbury Racecourse in England.
The $76,800 Dubai Duty Free at seven furlongs on turf is a key prep for the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 7, a race in which Dabyah was listed as a 12-1 shot with British bookmakers as of Thursday.
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Thursday, April 20)
Brett Davis
Race 1: 5-7-3-10
Race 2: 3-7-11-2
Race 3: 9-4-3-7
Race 4: 3-1-2-9
Race 5: 2-5-9-12
Race 6: 1-2-9-8
Race 7: 5-3-6-1
Race 8: 8-7-12-4
Best Bet - Race 2: #3 My Blessing
Longshot - Race 7 #5 Experto Crede
Best Play - Race 7: Q/QP 3,5,6
Paul Lally
Race 1: 5-7-2-8
Race 2: 3-6-4-9
Race 3: 7-4-3-9
Race 4: 1-7-3-9
Joao Moreira, the runaway leader of the Hong Kong jockey standings this season, has rides in all eight races on Thursday’s program at Happy Valley Racecourse and has chances to win the three $158,862 handicaps that highlight the card.
The final three races at Happy Valley are the most lucrative of the all-turf evening program. Wagering is available on DRFBets.com. Through Monday, Moreira has 134 wins, well in front of closest pursuer Zac Purton with 70.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
Brett Davis
Race 1: 3-1-5-2
Race 2: 6-3-8-12
Race 3: 12-4-7-1
Race 4: 4-7-1-6
Race 5: 1-2-7-6
Race 6: 6-1-7-11
Race 7: 8-3-1-10
Race 8: 4-3-2-9
Race 9: 5-6-8-14
Race 10: 7-12-13-1
Best Bet - Race 4: #4 Mr Oriole
Longshot - Race 8: #9 Verbinsky
Best Play - Race 4: Q/QP 1,4,7
Magic Legend, unbeaten in three starts this year, is rising in prominence on the Hong Kong circuit.
Strathmore, who was group stakes-placed in Hong Kong in 2016, and Racing Supernova, the winner of a rich handicap in December, seem headed in the opposite direction.
The three Australian-bred geldings meet for the first time in Monday’s $225,152 Nam Long Shan Handicap at six furlongs on turf at Sha Tin Racecourse, part of a 10-race post-Easter program.
The Oka Sho, Japan’s version of the 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies, was contested last weekend at Hanshin, and Fan Dii Na wasn’t part of it. No, this is a filly of such promise that her connections will instead try her Sunday at Nakayama in the Group 1 Satsuki Sho, the Japanese 2000 Guineas.
Fan Dii Na faces males for the first time but has gained enough of a following that she’s the solid favorite to become the first female winner of the race since 1948.
SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Monday, April 17, 2017)
RACE 1: #3 Lucky Master, #1 Confucius Warrior, #6 Amusing City, #5 Riverside Bird
RACE 2: #1 Amazing Always, #6 Rewarding Flyer, #12 Yourthewonforme, #14 Telecom Boom
RACE 3: #1 Fancy Music, #4 King's Man, #7 Cool And Neat, #12 Gorgeous Again
RACE 4: #1 Endearing, #4 Mr Oriole, #5 Vital Spring, #7 Multigogo
Invader, winner of the Group 1 Inglis’ Sires Stakes on April 1, can win his second race at the highest level in Saturday’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Australia.
Invader is expected to be an odds-on favorite in the $373,600 Champagne Stakes, which is run at 1,600 meters, or about a mile, on turf. Trained by the father-son team of Peter and Paul Snowden, Invader has won two of his last three starts, a span that includes second in his stakes debut – the Group 2 Todman Stakes on March 4.
Andrew Le Jeune
R1: 5-2-12-1
R2: 11-9-7-2
R3: 7-1-10-2
R4: 7-9-1-2
R5: 8-7-4-1
R6: 2-6-8-11
R7: 9-10-11-5
R8: 3-1-12-7
Best: R4 #7 Contribution
Long: R8 #12 Winnie’s Honey
Play: Q/QP 1-3-12
Brett Davis - Selections
R1 - 5-2-12-10-1
R2 - 11-2-9-8-1
R3 - 7-2-4-3-8
R4 - 2-4-1-7-9
R5 - 7-1-8-9-3
R6 - 10-8-2-4-7
R7 - 9-7-10-11-2
R8 - 3-1-4-12-6
