Whether the show must go on – that’s debatable. But the show will go on and fields have been assembled for the Dubai World Cup meeting Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.
Post positions for the World Cup card’s Group 1 races weren’t yet drawn Monday, but entries with jockey assignments are, and nine horses went into the $12 million World Cup.
Daniel Zigal has been active in Hong Kong horse racing since the 1990s, and his parents joined The Hong Kong Jockey Club as members in 1950. The family had their first runner at Happy Valley in 1960, and now, Zigal will experience the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) as a participating owner for the first time on Sunday (22 March), when the HK$26 million blue-riband event is held at Sha Tin.
He needed a bit of racing luck, but Guest House showed his ability to record an upset in Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Ridden by Zac Lloyd, Guest House was 11th in a field of 16 at the top of the stretch, racing on the inside. Lloyd was forced to wait briefly with Guest House in the final quarter-mile before finding racing room between runners. Once clear, Guest House pulled away to win by slightly more than 1 1/4 lengths over the filly Streisand.
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-8-3-4
R2: 1-9-2-3
R3: 9-4-10-6
R4: 5-7-2-3
R5: 7-13-3-6
R6: 4-3-1-2
R7: 6-2-8-12
R8: 6-7-11-1
R9: 6-5-2-12
R10: 13-10-2-12
Best Bet: R8 N6 Smart Avenue
Longshot: R9 N6 Flash Current
Play: R10 QQP 2-10-13
Tom Wood:
R1: 1-8-6-3
R2: 1-7-6-9
R3: 9-6-4-8
R4: 8-4-3-2
R5: 12-3-7-2
R6: 4-3-5-6
R7: 2-5-6-13
R8: 2-6-4-5
R9: 5-12-2-9
R10: 13-10-6-1
Owner Vincent To Wai Keung will make his second bid for BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) glory this Sunday, 22 March, with his promising runner Top Dragon.
To’s first Derby representative, Grand Dragon, contested the 2010 edition but finished 12th as a longshot. Sixteen years later, To believes he has a genuine contender in the HK$26 million feature over 2000m.
By Paul Ryding
Mark Newnham could scarcely have hoped for a better lead-in to the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and was in buoyant mood after Invincible Ibis was handed the plum draw at Thursday’s (19 March) barrier draw.
Fresh from a career-best quintet at Happy Valley in the penultimate meeting ahead of Sunday’s (22 March) blue-riband contest, the Australian handler’s charge gained a significant edge in drawing gate three.
By Leo Schlink
Preparing to saddle Invincible Ibis in the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 March), Mark Newnham breathed fresh life into his Hong Kong trainers’ championship quest with a spectacular, career-best five-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (18 March).
By Paul Ryding
Second-year British handler David Eustace approaches the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on Sunday (22 March) at Sha Tin with dual representation, but says positioning himself for an early-career crack at Hong Kong’s most prestigious race was always his plan.
By Declan Schuster
Trainer Pierre Ng is keeping the faith when Sagacious Life contests the HK$26 million 149th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon (22 March).
After awkwardly covering ground from an outside draw when fourth in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) before failing to fire a shot in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) last start on 1 March, Sagacious Life is aiming to bounce back to the sort of form that saw him win two Class 2s in his first three Hong Kong starts.
