Tue, 07/02/2024 - 08:10
HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Thursday, July 04, 2024)
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DRF Past Performances
No one was cooler than the colt Los Angeles and jockey Ryan Moore in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh in Ireland.
Winning a Group 1 for the first time this year, Los Angeles ($5.40 in American pools) rallied on the rail early in the three-furlong stretch and fought off a sustained challenge from even-money favorite Ambiente Friendly to win the $1.33 million Irish Derby at 1 1/2 miles.
Sat, 06/29/2024 - 11:39
Emily Upjohn looked clear for good with a furlong remaining in Saturday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland, until Bluestocking unleashed a rally that carried her to the front in the nick of time.
Ridden by Rossa Ryan, Bluestocking ($3.60 in American pools) wore down 2-1 Emily Upjohn in the final strides to win the $321,000 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles by a half-length. Content (12-1) finished third in the field of eight.
Ambiente Friendly, second in the Group 1 English Derby earlier this month, was supplemented to Sunday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh for the steep fee of $107,000 earlier this week.
To win one of Europe’s leading prizes for 3-year-olds, Ambiente Friendly has a task that will resonate with American sports fans outside of Southern California: Beat L.A.
Los Angeles, a colt trained by Aidan O’Brien, was the second pick in early betting as of Friday at 7-4, behind favored Ambiente Friendly at 5-4.
Fri, 06/28/2024 - 10:03
David Hall hopes Atullibigeal can add further lustre to his stable’s strong season with victory in the HK$2.84 million Class 2 Hong Kong Reunification Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Monday (1 July).
With 41 wins, Hall is only three victories short of matching his career-best haul of 44 wins in a Hong Kong season after a campaign crowned by Invincible Sage’s G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) triumph in April.
Racing against males has not gone well in the last year in Britain and Dubai for Emily Upjohn.
A 5-year-old mare, Emily Upjohn was second and seventh in Group 1 races against males last July in her final two starts of the 2023 season, and is winless in two starts this year – a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai in March, and a disappointing fourth in a field of five as the 7-4 favorite in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Epsom Racecourse south of London on May 31.
Thu, 06/27/2024 - 10:46
Bella Nipotina, the 6-year-old Australian sprint mare, is less than a length from holding a three-race winning streak in Group 1 races in the last six weeks.
After a win in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 at six furlongs at Doomben Racecourse on May 18, Bella Nipotina was beaten less than a half-length in the Kingsford-Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs at Eagle Farm on June 1, and by a neck in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at seven furlongs at Eagle Farm on June 15.
Dream Winner set the track alight last season with three wins from as many starts and Frankie Lor’s former boom sprinter emerges from the sidelines on Wednesday (26 June) at Happy Valley to contest a cracking HK$2.84 million Class 2 Tan Shan River Handicap (1200m).
The Exosphere four-year-old won his first three races by nearly 10 lengths combined, before returning this term for five starts – all of which have seen him go unplaced, while his best effort was a close-up fourth behind Group 1 performers Lucky With You and Flying Ace.