Mugen to welcome Year of the Dragon with a roaring success February 9, 2024 SHA TIN hosts the eagerly awaited Chinese New Year raceday on Monday, with an 11-race programme, featuring the £370,000 Chinese New Year Cup (8.05am), a handicap over seven furlongs. To the local racing enthusiasts, you can forget about the International Races in December, Champions Day in April, or even the Hong Derby in March; this [...]
Douglas Whyte’s charge can Zoom home to claim the spoils February 9, 2024 THERE will be plenty of interest in how expensive purchase Unbelievable performs when making his first appearance in Hong Kong in the Red Packet Handicap (8.40am) over a mile. The Frankie Lor-trained colt has a pedigree to die for, being a son of American champion Justify and out of a dam sired by Galileo. The [...]
EP: 251 Newbury & Hong Kong February 9, 2024 Two Grade 2 races, the Denman Chase and the Game Spirit Chase alongside the competitive Betfair Hurdle feature on Saturday’s racecard at Newbury. In this episode, we hear from trainer Nicky Henderson in his recent media day press meeting regarding some of his leading Newbury runners. Morning Wire Racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best [...]
Altobelli no run of the Mill pick in Betfair Hurdle February 6, 2024 LAST weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival was many of the Irish contenders’ final chance to strut their stuff before next month’s Cheltenham Festival, and this weekend it’s the turn of some of Britain’s best to show what they are about. Perhaps the most high-profile of those is Shishkin who bids to atone for that much talked-about [...]
Dance to the Guinness village with De Bromhead’s Captain February 6, 2024 MAJOR Cheltenham protagonists Galopin Des Champs, El Fabiolo and State Man all impressed at last weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, but there were also bubbles burst with Marine Nationale and Gaelic Warrior notable disappointments. Two performances in Ireland caught my eye with a view to the Festival, which is now just five weeks away. CAPTAIN GUINNESS [...]
Chung Hunting next Valley win on Cruz’s Lovero February 6, 2024 HAPPY Valley in Hong Kong hosts an ordinary nine-race programme today, with star performers pretty thin on the ground and the race card featuring a couple of bottom-grade Class Five handicaps. The action takes place on the ‘B’ track, where low draw numbers have historically had an advantage, especially in six-furlong races. If following trainers, [...]
Beauty can take Purton to Infinity and winners’ circle beyond February 6, 2024 IT WOULD be fair to say that jockey Zac Purton could do with a pick-me-up after a pretty ordinary weekend in Hong Kong. After riding only one winner from his nine rides at Sha Tin last Sunday – three of which were beaten favourites – the reigning champ also found out he had lost the [...]
Danny the champion of the world for Uncle Willie February 3, 2024 WHAT more can you say about Willie Mullins? He came into this year’s Dublin Racing Festival mobhanded as always, but to win all four Grade Ones, the first three all ridden by his nephew Danny, is just another example of his genius. Yes, he obviously has the best horses and the biggest spending owners, but [...]
Helios looks on Express track to Classic Mile win February 2, 2024 FAVOURITE backers will be out in force at Sha Tin on Sunday, to support exciting four-year-old HELIOS EXPRESS in the feature race on the 10-race programme, the £1.3m Hong Kong Classic Mile (8.05am). The John Size-trained galloper produced the wow factor when visually demolishing some battle-hardened handicappers with the minimum of fuss over the course [...]
Badel and Together can continue their Happy partnership February 2, 2024 IT IS hard to overlook the claims of Frankie Lor-trained HAPPY TOGETHER, who goes for his fifth win of the season, in the Group Three Centenary Vase (8.40am), a handicap over nine furlongs. The former Richard Gibson-trained gelding has found a new lease of life since moving to his new stable, and according to the [...]