Zac Purton reached 100 wins for the season while the trainers' championship remains tight between Danny Shum, David Hayes, and John Size. Joao Moreira made a successful return to Hong Kong racing, and Ka Ying Rising set new track records.
The Flat jockeys' championship begins at Newmarket on Saturday with a genuine three-way contest for the first time since 2021. Twenty-year-old Billy Loughnane, seeking to become the youngest champion in over a century, faces reigning champion Oisin Murphy, who is bidding for a record-tying sixth title. Bookmakers are split on the favourite, with Murphy available at 11-10 and Loughnane at 6-4, reflecting the closest race in years. Loughnane has improved his strike-rate to nearly 21% in 2026 after a career-best 108 wins last season.
The 2026 Flat jockeys' championship promises to be a historic contest between 20-year-old Billy Loughnane and reigning champion Oisin Murphy. Loughnane, who would be the youngest champion in over a century, is available at 6-4 with William Hill while Murphy is 11-10 with Ladbrokes – an unusually split market reflecting genuine uncertainty. Murphy won easily last year with 143 winners to Loughnane's 108, but the young jockey has improved his strike-rate to nearly 21% in 2026 and possesses a relentless momentum that has marked his rapid rise since his first winner at 16 in late 2022.
Ka Ying Rising's 20th consecutive victory in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize has positioned the Hong Kong champion sprinter for a rating surge to at least 130 in the next Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. The David Hayes-trained superstar, currently rated 128 as the world's highest-rated horse, broke track records in both the Sprint Cup and Chairman's Sprint Prize, prompting Jockey Club officials to predict he will surpass his current mark when the interim rankings release on May 14.
A record Sha Tin crowd for FWD Champions Day saw Ka Ying Rising win for the 20th time, with 40,000 attendees and HK$1.8 billion turnover (up 18.3%). HKJC chief Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges called it among the best race meetings in Hong Kong, as Hwasa performed and visitors from Japan joined locals to enjoy the day’s racing and festivities.
Hong Kong horses swept the Group One races at Sha Tin on Sunday, with Ka Ying Rising setting a new track record in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, marking his 20th consecutive victory.
Ka Ying Rising extended his unbeaten streak to 20 consecutive victories by winning the Chairman's Sprint Prize at FWD Champions Day in Hong Kong, while Romantic Warrior made history by claiming the FWD Insurance Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the fourth time. The event at Sha Tin Racecourse featured performances by K-pop star Hwasa of MAMAMOO and local singer Pakho Chau, attracting tourists from Japan and fans eager to see the Korean artist.
Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, the world's top two ranked racehorses, headline Sunday's FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin. Ka Ying Rising targets a record 20th consecutive victory in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize, while Romantic Warrior seeks a fourth QEII Cup win against Japanese star Masquerade Ball and French raider Sosie. The HK$30 million QEII Cup features a blockbuster clash between the world's highest-earning racehorse and the highest-rated international raider ever to compete in Hong Kong.
Derek Leung Ka-chun is set for a blockbuster FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday, riding Lucky Sweynesse in the Champions Mile and Numbers in the QEII Cup. The 37-year-old jockey, a two-time Group One winner, is bullish about Lucky Sweynesse's chances after the horse's impressive comeback from left fore fetlock surgery, including a recent Group Two Chairman's Trophy win. He faces stiff competition from My Wish and Japanese challenger Jantar Mantar.
Ka Ying Rising aims for a 20th consecutive victory in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize while Romantic Warrior bids for a fourth QEII Cup win at Sunday's FWD Champions Day in Sha Tin. The world's two highest-rated horses in the 2026 Longines rankings will face international competition in what trainers call the strongest QEII Cup in decades.
Docklands and Royal Champion were the first of the internationals set for FWD Champions Day to arrive in Hong Kong on the weekend, but there were two absentees from the travelling party after the withdrawals of Andreas Vesalius and Native Approach. Docklands and Royal Champion arrived from Britain on Saturday night, with Japan’s six representatives following soon after in the early hours of Sunday morning. Group One winners Masquerade Ball, Jantar Mantar and Satono Reve headline the Land Of The...
Perched on 98 wins for the season, Zac Purton hopes to reach his annual benchmark at Sha Tin on Sunday as he looks to build momentum ahead of FWD Champions Day next week. The eight-time champion Hong Kong jockey boasts a strong book of seven rides as he pursues the 100-win milestone for the 10th consecutive season and 11th overall in his glittering career. “To ride 100 winners in a season, you’ve had a great season so it will be good to get there again,” Purton said. “Then we’ve still got a few...
