Sha Tin Selections
(Wednesday, February 12)
Race 1: #6 Ever Smart, #3 Modest Gentleman, #2 Island Golden, #8 Fung
Race 2: #12 Wind Speeder, #4 Sonic Boom, #9 Cheer For South, #5 Speedy Smartie
Race 3: #7 He Was You, #9 Hinokami Kagura, #10 Yeah Buddy, #1 Sunny Darling
Race 4: #3 Reliable Profit, #7 Viva Chaleur, #2 Red Majesty, #9 Forever Folks
Race 5: #2 Bowser, #4 Looks Outstanding, #3 Riding High, #7 Vulcanus
By Declan Schuster
Brett Crawford will become the latest trainer from South Africa to ply his trade in Hong Kong after receiving a licence to compete in the city for the upcoming 2025/26 racing season.
Crawford, 53, follows the likes of former South African-based handlers Tony Millard (709 Hong Kong wins) and David Ferraris (460) by switching tacks to Hong Kong as he was welcomed at Sha Tin this morning (Friday, 7 February) by Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Andrew Harding, at a press briefing.
By Leo Schlink
Hugh Bowman is optimistic Raging Blizzard has quality to cope with a rise in grade when John Size’s in-form sprinter bids for a third successive victory when tackling the HK$3.72 million Class 1 TVB Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (9 February).
For a maiden who has started three times, the Australian filly Price Tag has a growing reputation.
Price Tag has raced only in stakes and has finished third, fourth, and second. The close finishes make Price Tag the early favorite to beat 15 rivals in the $1.25 million Inglis Millennium Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Friday evening.
Price Tag, trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, was the 5-2 favorite in early betting on Thursday.
Fresh from Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) success last week, Luke Ferraris continued a barnstorming season with victory on Mr Ascendency in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Tsun Yip Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (5 February).
Triumphant after My Wish’s brilliant win in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile for Mark Newnham, Ferraris combined with Ricky Yiu to land the midweek feature aboard Mr Ascendency with a perfectly-timed ride.
Unbeaten in her first four starts on the island of Tasmania in Australia in late 2023 and early 2024, Geegees Mistruth did not have the same measure of success later last year in group stakes at tracks in the Melbourne area.
A return to Tasmania, and a start in Thursday’s Group 3 Mystic Journey Stakes at six furlongs at Hobart Racecourse, may reverse a five-race losing streak.
Paul Lally:
R1: 8-6-5-1
R2: 3-2-9-1
R3: 1-7-8-10
R4: 2-1-5-8
R5: 5-8-2-7
R6: 2-7-6-3
R7: 4-6-3-2
R8: 10-3-1-6
R9: 8-7-5-9
Best Bet: R6 N2 Northern Beast
Longshot: R9 N8 Super Joy N Fun
Play: R8 QQP 1-3-10
Tom Wood:
R1: 2-6-1-3
R2: 3-4-9-6
R3: 1-7-4-2
R4: 1-2-5-6
R5: 1-2-5-12
R6: 2-7-1-4
Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, February 05, 2025)
Race 1: #2 Super Baby, #1 Smashing Express, #4 Confringo, #8 Podium
Race 2: #3 Inno Century, #9 Super Sixty, #4 Excellent Peers, #7 Solar River
Race 3: #1 Sky Jewellery, #10 Glory B, #6 Great Spirit, #2 Mega Bonus
Race 4: #1 Moments In Time, #6 Flamingo Trillion, #2 Helene Feeling, #8 Red Hare King
Race 5: #1 Circuit Duffy, #2 Golden Rise, #5 Fortune Whiskey, #3 Polaris
