Sha Tin Selections
(Wednesday, January 01, 2025)

Croix du Nord ended his 2-year-old season unbeaten after three starts with a two-length win in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan on Saturday, firmly gaining a place among the prospects for the country’s major stakes for 3-year-olds in the spring.

Sent off favored, Croix du Nord (who paid $4.50 in American pools) closed from slightly off the pace, racing from farther back than his first two wins. Ridden by Yuichi Kitamura, Croix du Nord was third in early stretch and took the lead in the final furlong.

Croix du Nord, the outstanding Japanese-bred 2-year-old, had a five-month gap between a win against first-time starters in June and his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes on Nov. 16.

For his third start, Croix du Nord is back in action after a six-week break.

Croix du Nord is at the fore of a field of 18 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse.

by Leo Schlink

In the midst of a strong season, Mark Newnham hopes Bravehearts can maintain the stable’s impetus with success in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Buffalo Hill Handicap (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (27 December).

Newnham has 22 wins for the season to date and sits third in the 2024/25 Hong Kong trainers’ championship behind Pierre Ng (26 wins) and Danny Shum (22) with David Hayes fourth on 21 victories.

by Leo Schlink

Zac Purton continued a relentless quest for Hong Kong racing history with a record-equalling six-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (26 December), closing to within just 16 wins of Douglas Whyte’s towering mark.

Purton took his Hong Kong career tally to 1,797 wins – and ever closer to Whyte’s colossal haul of 1,813 – with victories on Super Charizzard, Noisy Boy, Northern Fire Ball, View Of The World, The Azure and Aurora Lady.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, December 29, 2024)

Raikkonen will be a slight favorite to win his stakes debut in Friday’s Group 3 Magic Millions Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Australia after consecutive wins in a maiden race and a minor handicap in recent weeks.

Trained by Bjorn Baker, Raikkonen has won two of three starts in a career that began with a second-place finish in a maiden race on Nov. 5. Raikkonen beat maidens in a six-furlong maiden race at Canterbury Park on Nov. 20, and won a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Dec. 6.

By Declan Schuster

Trainer Danny Shum indicated his delight with the world’s highest-earning racehorse Romantic Warrior as the six-year-old gelding gets familiar with new surroundings at the Dubai Racing Club – his base for an exciting three-run Middle Eastern campaign.

“He’s good. Our team has sent videos of him swimming and at the track with Romantic Charm (companion horse). The horse is very happy – the facilities are great, it has a huge training track and the stables are very good,” Shum said. “They’ve been very good; we even had a police escort.”

Paul Lally:

R1 | 1-5-9-3
R2 | 5-9-1-7
R3 | 3-8-10-2
R4 | 5-7-12-8
R5 | 2-6-3-10
R6 | 4-7-3-10
R7 | 5-1-3-6
R8 | 11-2-8-6
R9 | 1-7-2-10
R10 | 1-5-7-12

Best Bet | R6 N4 Top Time
Longshot | R9 N1 Nordic Dragon
Play R10 | QQP 1-5-7

Mark McNamara:

R1 | 9.2.3.11
R2 | 5.1.9.8
R3 | 10.8.3.1
R4 | 5.9.1.2
R5 | 6.1.4.10
R6 | 4.3.7.6
R7 | 5.3.1.6
R8 | 10.1.2.4
R9 | 5.4.2.7
R10 | 3.1.7.5

Happy Valley Selections
(Thursday, December 26, 2024)Race 1: #1 Speedy Smartie, #5 Super Charizzard, #3 Ever Smart, #12 E Glory

Race 2: #5 Ka Ying Resilience, #9 Parents’ Love, #1 Lean Master, #7 Club Ace

Race 3: #8 Sharpen Bright, #5 Noisy Boy, #1 Natural Storm, #10 Winning Steps

Race 4: #9 Telecom Power, #5 Northern Fire Ball, #7 Meepmeep, #4 Excellent Peers

Race 5: #6 Classic Century, #2 Viva Graciousness, #4 Turin Warrior, #1 Red Majesty

Race 6: #3 View Of The World, #7 Zetta Force, #10 Gimme Five, #4 Top Time