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FOX Sports To Present Live Coverage Of Saturday’s British Champions Day

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced it has partnered with FOX Sports to present live coverage and analysis of QIPCO British Champions Day from historic Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England.

Saturday's special broadcast of Great Britain's richest race day will air on FS2 from 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Eastern, and feature four classic Group 1 turf races, headlined by the £1.1 million Queen Elizabeth II, sponsored by QIPCO, and the £1.2 million QIPCO Champion.

Post time for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II, sponsored by QIPCO, for 3-year-olds and up going 1 mile set will be 10:10 a.m.; with the Group 1 QIPCO Champion for 3-year-olds and up at 10 furlongs set for 10:50 a.m.

Coverage will include two other Group 1 races, the £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs at 9 a.m.; and the £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles (1 mile and 4 furlongs) scheduled for 9:35 a.m.

Two additional turf races will also be featured – the Group 2, £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup for 3-year-olds and up going 2 miles, which has a post time of 8:25 a.m.; and the broadcast's final race, the £200,000 Balmoral Handicap, sponsored by QIPCO, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 mile. Post time for the Balmoral Handicap is 11:30 a.m.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Equibase Analysis: Empress Josephine Could Rule In QEII Challenge Cup

A strong field of 10 three-year-old fillies is assembled for Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland. This race is an “invitation only” event and drew eight horses which have been running in North America plus two coming in from Europe off good efforts in stakes.

In terms of achievements, Shantisara (IRE) could be considered first based on money earned as she's just $12,000 short of a half-million dollars, the majority of that earned winning the non-graded but very classy $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational last month at Belmont Park.

Then there's Empress Josephine (IRE), who along with Nicest (IRE) has faced the toughest competition of any horse in the field. Empress Josephine (IRE) won the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas in May and comes back on six days rest after finishing third last week in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland. Nicest (IRE) finished third in the Irish Oaks when last seen in mid-July and the horse that won the race is top European filly Snowfall, who recently finished sixth against some of the toughest males in the world in the Group 1 Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe.

Technical Analysis (IRE) enters this race off a victory in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes, while Flippant just won the Virginia Oaks at the distance of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Closing Remarks is another who has been competitive in top company as she finished second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in her most recent race. Burning Ambition is yet another recent stakes winner, having captured the Indiana Grand Stakes last month.

Cloudy Dawn (IRE) makes her North American debut and when last seen in August she was victorious in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey so is another not to be taken lightly. Queen Goddess and Lady Speightspeare both enter this race off allowance wins and for Lady Speightspeare it was her first start following nearly a year away from the races. Just prior to the layoff she won the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes.

Empress Josephine (IRE) has the best credentials in the field and one of the best ™ Equibase® Speed Figure earned by any filly in this group, a 113 when third last week in the First Lady Stakes at a shorter distance on the Keeneland Turf. In that race Empress Josephine (IRE) raced mid-pack in sixth of 12 in the early stages and steadily made up ground to finish third, just a half-length from the runner-up, with the winner another half-length in front. She had just run four weeks earlier in Ireland when fourth of 13, beaten a head for second, in the very important Group 1 Matron Stakes. That effort earned a 115 figure and she had earned a 114 figure in May when winning the Irish 1000 Guineas.

No other horse in the field, except Nicest (IRE), has broken through the 110 figure threshold so considering Empress Josephine (IRE) has done it three times this season, she appears to be the one to beat. As a daughter of amazing sire Galileo, Empress Josephine (IRE) should appreciate the extra eighth of a mile and she adds blinkers as well, likely suggested by top jockey John Velazquez, who returns to ride after being aboard last weekend. There's also no concern about the filly returning so quickly because her trainer is one of the best in the world in Aiden O'Brien, who according to a Race Lens query has only run two horses back on a week's rest in the past five years. One of those was Athena, who won the 2018 Belmont Oaks easily off a similarly short respite. Even more significant is the fact that Together (IRE), who was a daughter of Galileo and who was trained by O'Brien, finished second in the 2011 First Lady Stakes then went on to win the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup one week later.

Flippant may be a live longshot candidate although she has won three races in a row, two of those stakes races. Flippant won the Preview Dueling Grounds Oaks Stakes in August with a 98 ™figure then improved to 100 at the end of August when victorious in the Virginia Oaks at the same nine furlong trip of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. In the Virginia Oaks, Flippant put in a furious rally from 11th with a quarter mile to go and was never really asked as she lengthened her stride to win going away. The 100 figure earned is a far cry from any of the three best figures Empress Josephine (IRE) has earned but Flippant has the pattern to improve, and the breeding to run very well. The Race Lens report on her dam, Frivolous, shows that mare won the Grade 1 Fleur de Lis Stakes at this distance on dirt as well as won on turf, and the report on her sire Tapit shows me his daughter Time and Motion won the 2016 edition of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup so there is a lot of potential for this filly to run well.

Cloudy Dawn (IRE) and Nicest (IRE) are both nice fillies who have faced some tough competition in Europe and who could both have a say in the outcome of this race. Cloudy Dawn (IRE) just won a group three stakes in Europe, the equivalent of a grade two stakes in North American, and she was flattered when the runner-up came back to win her next race. Trainer William Haggas hasn't started many horses in North America in the past few years but one of them was Call to Mind, owned by Her Majesty the Queen, who shipped in to win the 2018 Belmont Gold Cup. Nicest (IRE) has been facing top company just like Empress Josephine (IRE) and that alone warrants consideration as a contender. She finished third of 13 in the Ribblesdale Stakes in June at Royal Ascot and followed that up with a third place finish behind top European three year old Snowfall in the Irish Oaks in mid-July. That last effort earned a 116 Equibase Figure and if she can repeat or improve off that effort nearly three months later she could certainly be in the thick of the action at the wire in this race.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase® Speed Figures, is Burning Ambition (83), Closing Remarks (101), Lady Speightspeare (98), Queen Goddess (91), Shantisara (IRE) (101) and Technical Analysis (IRE) (100).

Top Win Contender:
Empress Josephine

Other contenders:
Flippant
Cloudy Dawn (IRE)
Nicest (IRE)

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Dixiana – Grade 1
Race 8 at Keeneland
Saturday, Sept. 16 – Post Time 4:44 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Eighth on Turf
Fillies, Three Years Old
Purse: $500,000

You can get Ellis' full card detailed analysis and betting recommendations for all the races at Keeneland at Equibase.com, TrackMaster.com and most online wagering sites.

The post Equibase Analysis: Empress Josephine Could Rule In QEII Challenge Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hong Kong Racing Study Guide: Leading Trainers By ROI

Second in a series helping horseplayers learn more about betting Hong Kong racing, by international wagering authority Dick Powell. Click here for the first installment on leading riders by ROI.

The 2021-2022 Hong Kong Jockey Club season began on September 5 and will continue with racing twice a week until July 16. Unlike the jockeys where the top two, Joao Moreira and Zac Purton, won 282 of the 835 races last season (34%), the two leading trainers, Caspar Fownes and John Size, won a combined 152 races (18%).

There are no “super” trainers in Hong Kong and the table below illustrates it. These are the leading trainers and their win percentages. Only five have even double-digit win percentages and the highest is John Size at 13.98%.

Trainer	Wins	Starters	Win %
Caspar Fownes	79	640	12.34%
John Size	73	522	13.98%
Frankie Lor	65	574	11.32%
Francis Lui	61	576	10.59%
Danny Shum	57	499	11.42%
Tony Cruz	51	635	8.03%
Doug Whyte	41	517	7.93%
Me Tsui	37	559	6.62%
David Hall	36	404	8.91%
Dennis Yip	34	531	6.40%
Chris So	33	511	6.46%
Ricky Yiu	33	454	7.27%
Benno Yung	32	405	7.90%
David Hayes	32	422	7.58%
Jimmy Ting	31	449	6.90%
Tony Millard	30	386	7.77%
Manfred Man	30	487	6.16%
Paul O'Sullivan	26	377	6.90%
David Ferraris	17	376	4.52%
Richard Gibson	17	249	6.83%

Part of this is explainable by field size. The average field size of every race in Hong Kong is about 12. So, from a random point of view, each trainer has a 1 in 12 chance of winning or 8.33%. If the field size is 8, like it is at many American tracks, there is a 1 in 8 chance of winning or 12.5%. Winning races in Hong Kong is much more difficult, even for the leading trainers.

Takeout on win betting in Hong Kong is 17.5% so an average win payoff of $1.65 exceeds the takeout. The following are the leading trainers from the 2020-2021 season and their ROI based on a $2 win bet:

Trainer	Wins	Starters	Money Earned	$2 Bet/Horse	ROI
Caspar Fownes	79	640	$818.80	$1,280.00	$1.28
John Size	73	522	$953.20	$1,044.00	$1.83
Frankie Lor	65	574	$1,071.20	$1,148.00	$1.87
Francis Lui	61	576	$785.70	$1,152.00	$1.36
Danny Shum	57	499	$767.90	$998.00	$1.54
Tony Cruz	51	635	$735.20	$1,270.00	$1.16
Doug Whyte	41	517	$814.40	$1,034.00	$1.58
Me Tsui	37	559	$791.60	$1,118.00	$1.42
David Hall	36	404	$602.60	$808.00	$1.49
Dennis Yip	34	531	$781.90	$1,062.00	$1.47
Chris So	33	511	$733.20	$1,022.00	$1.43
Ricky Yiu	33	454	$580.80	$908.00	$1.28
Benno Yung	32	405	$830.00	$810.00	$2.05
David Hayes	32	422	$445.40	$844.00	$1.06
Jimmy Ting	31	449	$1,087.10	$898.00	$2.42
Tony Millard	30	386	$519.60	$772.00	$1.35
Manfred Man	30	487	$713.40	$974.00	$1.46
Paul O'Sullivan	26	377	$488.60	$754.00	$1.30
David Ferraris	17	376	$409.50	$752.00	$1.09
Richard Gibson	17	249	$488.20	$498.00	$1.96

This tells a dramatically different story as the leading trainers do not always equal pari-mutuel success. So which trainers provide the best value? Here are the trainers listed by their ROI:

Trainer	Wins	Starters	Money Earned	$2 Bet/Horse	ROI
Jimmy Ting	31	449	$1,087.10	$898.00	$2.42
Benno Yung	32	405	$830.00	$810.00	$2.05
Richard Gibson	17	249	$488.20	$498.00	$1.96
Frankie Lor	65	574	$1,071.20	$1,148.00	$1.87
John Size	73	522	$953.20	$1,044.00	$1.83
Doug Whyte	41	517	$814.40	$1,034.00	$1.58
Danny Shum	57	499	$767.90	$998.00	$1.54
David Hall	36	404	$602.60	$808.00	$1.49
Dennis Yip	34	531	$781.90	$1,062.00	$1.47
Manfred Man	30	487	$713.40	$974.00	$1.46
Chris So	33	511	$733.20	$1,022.00	$1.43
Me Tsui	37	559	$791.60	$1,118.00	$1.42
Francis Lui	61	576	$785.70	$1,152.00	$1.36
Tony Millard	30	386	$519.60	$772.00	$1.35
Paul O'Sullivan	26	377	$488.60	$754.00	$1.30
Caspar Fownes	79	640	$818.80	$1,280.00	$1.28
Ricky Yiu	33	454	$580.80	$908.00	$1.28
Tony Cruz	51	635	$735.20	$1,270.00	$1.16
David Ferraris	17	376	$409.50	$752.00	$1.09
David Hayes	32	422	$445.40	$844.00	$1.06

Some words of caution:

Jimmy Ting's positive ROI is affected by a win that paid $359.30 but it is still a decent $1.62 without it.

Benno Yung's positive ROI is affected by a win that paid $151.90 but it is still a decent $1.67 without it.

Frankie Lor ($1.87) and John Size ($1.83) are the only leading trainers that are beating the takeout and a couple, Caspar Fownes ($1.28) and Tony Cruz ($1.16) are near the bottom. When making your selections, make sure you are getting a decent price.

The post Hong Kong Racing Study Guide: Leading Trainers By ROI appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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NYRA Partners With Far Hills For Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring graded-stakes action from Far Hills and Belmont Park.

The centennial running of the Far Hills Race Meeting will be featured on Saturday's edition of America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national television show produced by NYRA, with live coverage on FS2 from 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Saturday's sequence kicks off at Far Hills with the Grade 1, $150,000 Grand National Hurdle in Race 3 at 2:34 p.m., a 2 5/8-mile test for older horses that will feature a rematch between 5-year-old mare The Mean Queen and 7-year-old gelding Snap Decision, who ran one-two in last month's Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont.

Trained by Keri Brion, The Mean Queen ended Snap Decision's nine-race winning streak with a two-length score in the 2 1/2-mile Lonesome Glory, while carrying 154 pounds – seven pounds less than her returning rival.

Snap Decision, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, won the Grade 1 Iroquois in June at Percy Warner and has been assigned 156 pounds for the Grant National, eight pounds more than The Mean Queen.

Action switches to Belmont for the next two legs, beginning with Race 5 at 2:43 p.m., which offers a field of 11 New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up sprinting seven furlongs on the turf.

The middle leg – the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point [Race 6, 3:15 p.m.] – will see a field of eight sophomore fillies contest at nine-furlongs on the inner turf led by a pair of top contenders for trainer Chad Brown in Fluffy Socks and Higher Truth.

Fluffy Socks, a Grade 3-winner, cuts back in distance after rallying to finish third last out in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

The Grade 1-placed Higher Truth contested all three legs of NYRA's Turf Triple series for fillies, including a third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in July; a second to Belmont Oaks runner-up Con Lima in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational; and a prominent second last out in the 11-furlong Jockey Club Oaks Invitational. Steep opposition will be provided by group/graded stakes winners Plum Ali and Harajuku.

The sequence concludes with a pair of steeplechase stakes from Far Hills, including the $50,000 Appleton [Race 4, 3:22 p.m.], featuring a field of six older horses in a 2 5/8-mile event over national fences. Ya Boy Ya [158 pounds] ships in from his native Ireland as the field high weight for trainer Julie Gomena to battle with fellow Irish-bred Galway Kid, who won the Grade 3 David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow in May for Brion.

Closing out the action is the $30,000 Gladstone [Race 5, 4:09 p.m.], a 2 1/8-mile event for sophomores that features the Leslie Young-trained French-bred shipper Fast Vision [151 pounds], by Vision d'Etat, who arrives from a two-length score in the Prix Soldat contested at the Gladstone distance in June at Dieppe.

Young will also saddle the Irish-bred Project Two [148], who adds blinkers following a runner-up effort in a maiden tilt in August at Ballinrobe in Ireland. Brion will send out Irish-bred maiden Parish Delight [148], while Elizabeth Voss will saddle maiden winner Circus [151] – a dark bay son of Runhappy.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. For the complete broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, October 16:
Leg A: Far Hills – Race 3, G1 Grand National (2:34 p.m.)
Leg B: Belmont – Race 5 (2:43 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 6, G2 Sands Point (3:15 p.m.)
Leg D: Far Hills – Race 4, Appleton (3:22 p.m.)
Leg E: Far Hills – Race 5, Gladstone (4:09 p.m.)

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