Fallen Angel proved to be a fighter when she finished a game second by a length in the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland on Sept. 14.
In her first start since May, Fallen Angel set the pace and tried to keep up in the final strides with the four-time Group 1 winner Porta Fortuna.
French racing’s loss is American racing’s gain.
Europe’s brightest star, the Ireland-based City of Troy, in a different world would be headed to Paris this weekend for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Instead, City of Troy departs later this month for California, taking his talents to dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
By Leo Schlink
Karis Teetan hopes Adefill’s natural affinity with Sha Tin’s All Weather Track will prove decisive when Ricky Yiu’s gelding resumes in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Nam Long Shan Handicap (1650m, dirt) on Sunday (6 October).
All six of Adefill’s Hong Kong wins have come on Sha Tin’s dirt surface with three victories at 1200m and three more over Sunday’s distance, as well as six other minor placings on the surface from just 15 starts.
Things have not gone right this year for Inspiral, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita last November.
Inspiral is winless in three starts, a trend that may be reversed in Saturday’s Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse in Britain.
Inspiral may not be favored. The $360,700 Sun Chariot Stakes drew a field of six, notably the 3-year-old Tamfana, a Group 3 stakes winner at Sandown Racecourse near London in late August.
As of Thursday, Tamfana was the 5-2 favorite, a slight choice over Inspiral at 3-1.
Four Group 1 races, as well as key prep races for the rich Everest Stakes and Melbourne Cup, highlight racing at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne and Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia on Friday evening.
The winner of the Group 3 Bart Cummings Stakes at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington receives an automatic berth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup on Nov. 5. Berkshire Breeze, 40-1 in future-book betting for the Melbourne Cup, was the 3-1 favorite in early betting for the Cummings Stakes, a slight choice over 5-1 Point King.
Forever Young, third by a head in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May, won for the first time at 1 1/4 miles in Wednesday’s $830,900 Japan Dirt Classic at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo.
The Japan Dirt Classic for 3-year-old colts and fillies was Forever Young’s prep race for an expected start in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
By Leo Schlink
Beauty Waves continued an impressive rise through Hong Kong’s sprint ranks with victory in the HK$4.2 million G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Tuesday (1 October) as Pierre Ng and Alexis Badel combined successfully with the former Irish speedster.
Beaten last start by highly-rated Ka Ying Rising, Beauty Waves took his record since joining Ng’s stable to four wins, two seconds and a third from seven starts, while Badel posted his second victory in the National Day Cup after previously winning it on Super Wealthy.
The last time the Japanese colt Forever Young raced, he finished third by a head in a thrilling running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Forever Young’s next appearance in the United States may occur in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2, pending the outcome of Wednesday’s $830,900 Japan Dirt Classic at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo, Japan.
