Happy Cheers can win his first race in Hong Kong in the $159,196 Yew Handicap at six furlongs at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday.

There are reasons to expect a promising race for Happy Cheers, who is trained by Caspar Fownes. A 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, Happy Cheers won twice in Australia last year when racing under the name Kallara Village. In his first start in Hong Kong, at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sept. 11, Happy Cheers closed from eighth in a field of 11 to finish third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in a six-furlong handicap.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday October 12, 2016)

Rhododendron and Hydrangea gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a sweep of the first two positions in Friday’s $661,860 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket Racecourse, the second time in recent weeks that the Irish trainer has finished first and second in a Group 1 for 2-year-old fillies in England.

On Sept. 24, the O’Brien-trained Brave Anna and Roly Poly were first and second in the Cheveley Park Stakes at six furlongs at Newmarket.

O’Brien said after the Fillies’ Mile that Rhododendron and Hydrangea will be considered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Brett Davis - Selections
Race 1:  2-3-1-4
Race 2: 12-11-9-2
Race 3:  7-4-5-6
Race 4: 11-5-6-7
Race 5: 5-3-2-8
Race 6: 4-3-12-1
Race 7: 5-2-1-6
Race 8: 13-1-2-14
Race 9: 8-10-2-5
Race 10: 13-10-14-8

Churchill is the early favorite for the 2017 English 2000 Guineas and therefore will be heavily favored Saturday at Newmarket in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes for 2-year-olds over seven furlongs.

Renaissance Art, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding who began his career in Ireland, has found his niche in Hong Kong.

In 18 starts in Hong Kong, Renaissance Art has won four times, including consecutive wins in handicaps in June and July. Trained by Caspar Fownes, Renaissance Art will have his first start of the 2016-17 Hong Kong season in Saturday’s $225,576 Yuen Long Handicap at a mile on turf.

The Yuen Long Handicap is the eighth race on a 10-race program that begins at 1 a.m. Eastern time Saturday, or 10 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

 SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016)

RACE 1: #4 Diamond Bit, #9 Sea Warrior, #1 Bear Chum, #2 Acclaimed Light

RACE 2: #2 Prince Falcon, #12 Lean Journey, #14 Starry Starlies, #13 Lucky Place

RACE 3: #7 Sight Seeing, #5 Game Of Fun, #9 Soaring Wyvern, #1 Kingston Jumbo

RACE 4: #2 Snow Slider, #1 Super Man, #11 Rewarding Flyer, #14 Wingold

RACE 5: #6 Precisioncraftsman, #11 Dragon Harmony, #3 Diamond Friends, #5 Master Gold

Spatial and Sobetsu, maiden race winners at Newmarket Racecourse in recent months, will make their first starts in stakes amidst high expectations in Friday’s $680,744 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Sobetsu, trained by Charlie Appleby, and Spatial, trained by Michael Stoute, were 5-2 and 10-3 with British bookmakers on Wednesday for the Fillies’ Mile, which drew a field of eight. Both were beaten in their first start, but rebounded to win maiden races.

Sobetsu won a maiden race at a mile by 10 lengths on Sept. 17. Spatial won a seven-furlong maiden race on Aug. 26.

Andrew Le Juene:

R1: 5-9-11-6
R2: 8-2-4-11
R3:6-1-10-2
R4:8-4-12-9
R5: 2-4-7-9
R6: 3-7-5-1
R7: 3-9-10-12
R8: 12-9-3-1

Best Bet: R5 N2 Royal Partner
Long Shot: R1 N9 Enjoy The Game
Play: Q/QP R5: 2-4-7

Paul Lally:

R1: 7-11-6-5
R2: 3-2-8-7
R3: 2-1-4-6
R4: 7-9-8-1
R5: 2-4-11-1
R6: 1-5-7-4
R7: 9-12-3-10
R8: 12-9-6-3

Best bet R3 N2 Why Why
Longshot R4 N9 Octal Luck

Two six-furlong turf handicaps are the leading races on an eight-race program Wednesday at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.

First post is 7:15 a.m. Eastern.

E-Super, a 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, is the 133-pound topweight for the first division, the third race on the program. E-Super is on a two-race winning streak, having won six-furlong handicaps in January and February at Happy Valley.