Frankie Lor eyes tactical shift for Numbers in Champions and Chater Cup

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is contemplating a change of tactics for his stable star Numbers when he tackles Sunday’s Group One Champions and Chater Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin.

The 2021-22 champion trainer is coming off the back of three winning meetings on the spin, including a double at Sha Tin last Sunday and a further two placings on that card, and he will be hoping that strong form keeps rolling into this weekend.

Highly tried in Australia pre-import, where he was trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, the son of Tivaci ran on 12 occasions, winning a pair of races.

Most notably, he finished fifth in last year’s Group One Australian Derby (2,400m) and two runs later, he only found one too good when second in the Group One Queensland Derby (2,400m) when thundering home.

Stamina is something he has in spades and that has been evident in six local runs so far, winning a Class Two handicap on his second start prior to a grinding all-the-way win of the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m).

Fourth in the Classic Cup (1,800m) from gate 11 on his next start, he followed that up with a superb effort from barrier 13 when only collared late by Invincible Ibis in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m).

Lor, buoyed by those runs, decided to test him against the likes of Romantic Warrior, Masquerade Ball, Sosie and Royal Champion in the Group One QEII Cup (2,000m), where he finished a respectable seventh when setting the pace.

Lor reports his four-year-old is in rude health on the back of that ambitious assignment and with the Champions and Chater set to be run on the A course, he will be looking to give jockey Derek Leung Ka-chun different instructions on this occasion.

“He looks good and everything has been fine since his last run. Last start, he faced some very good Group One horses and I think he learned something from that race,” Lor said. “He will have a gallop on the turf on Tuesday under Derek and that should get him into good shape.

“I think a wet track would be fine for him, he raced on softer tracks in Australia and did not have any problems. The 2,400m trip will be OK for him but maybe this time we will change the tactics.

“They will use the A course next Sunday and that has not been a good track for the leaders. I think he is more relaxed than when I first got him and if someone else wants to lead, I think we would follow them.”

The Champions and Chater will once again see a horse bidding for history, with Romantic Warrior looking to follow in the footsteps of River Verdon and Voyage Bubble by landing the Triple Crown, following wins in the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) and the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m).

He will be joined locally by 2025 Derby winner Cap Ferrat, last seen finishing second in the Group One Champions Mile, while Group One-placed Winning Wing, Ka Ying Generation and Gentlemen Legacy complete the Hong Kong hopefuls.

There will be Japanese interest in the race too, with Group Two H.H The Amir Trophy (2,400m) winner Deep Monster and Group One-placed Rousham Park arriving in Hong Kong last week.