by Leo Schlink

Delivering a chilling reminder of his extraordinary talent, Ka Ying Rising posted his 11th consecutive victory with a blistering display in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) to crown Zac Purton’s return to race riding at Sha Tin on Sunday (30 March).

The world’s highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (128lb) demolished his opposition with familiar nonchalance to score by three lengths from Helios Express (123lb) and Lucky With You (123lb) in 1m 08.18s after being eased down by Purton with 100m to go.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, April 02, 2025)

Satono Reve gave international jockey Joao Moreira his second important stakes win in Japan in as many days with a predictable victory in Sunday’s Grade 1 Takamatsonomiya Kinen for sprinters at Chukyo Racecourse.

Three days later than expected, the brilliant Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old filly Treasurethe Moment will be a solid favorite to win her fifth consecutive stakes and seventh straight race of any kind in Monday’s Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Australia.

The $473,100 Vinery Stud Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, and another Group 1 at 1 1/4 miles, the $946,200 Tancred Stakes, were postponed from the weekend because of excessive rain in the Sydney area.

Luxor Cafe recorded a commanding five-length win in Saturday’s $226,400 Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan to secure a qualifying berth for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.

It was not immediately clear whether the Kentucky-bred Luxor Cafe would be sent to the Kentucky Derby, but the colt did show on Saturday that he is in the best form of his career by winning his fourth consecutive race.

Luxor Cafe was nominated to the American Triple Crown earlier this year.

The 6-year-old mare Namura Clair is winless in eight Grade 1 races in Japan since late 2021, a losing streak in top-level races that may end in Sunday’s $2.19 million Takamatsunomiya Kinen for sprinters at Chukyo Racecourse.

Namura Clair was second in the 2024 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, which is annually the first Grade 1 race of the year on turf in Japan. A winner of 6 of 20 starts, including five Grade 2 or Grade 3 races, Namura Clair will have her 2025 debut on Sunday. She won the Grade 2 Hanshin Cup at seven furlongs at Kyoto in December in her final start of 2024.

Paul Lally:
R1 4-2-5-6 
R2 1-2-3-7
R3 7-12-6-3
R4 8-12-14-10
R5 4-12-3-1
R6 5-1-11-4
R7 1-3-4-2
R8 8-5-2-3
R9 5-1-10-6
R10 8-5-6-7
Best Bet R5 N4 Chancheng Glory
Longshot R8 N8 California Blitz
Play R10 QQP 5-6-8

By Leo Schlink

Pierre Ng is optimistic seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton can coax the best out of Galaxy Patch when the mercurial talent contests the HK$5.35 million G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (30 March).

Purton returns to race riding for the first time since injuring his left foot on 9 February and the Australian’s nine rides include the prized mounts of Ka Ying Rising in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sprint Cup (1200m) and Galaxy Patch.

The stakes winner Luxor Café will have a new rider when he starts favored in Saturday’s $226,400 Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan, the fourth and final race in that country’s Kentucky Derby qualifying series.

Joao Moreira, a former leading rider in Hong Kong, has the mount on Luxor Café, who has won three consecutive starts since last fall. Australian-based Rachel King rode Luxor Café to wins in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles at Nakayama on Jan. 11 and in the Hyacinth Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 23.

Pride of Jenni will not repeat as Australia’s Horse of the Year after winning the title for the 2023-2024 season that ended last August.

In the current term, Pride of Jenni has won 2 of 6 starts, with the two wins against small fields in Group 2 races. One of those wins was the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield on March 15, a victory that has led to Pride of Jenni’s appearance in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington on Friday.