Hot Delight, ridden by Vincent Ho, won the Class Two Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships Handicap, solidifying his Classic Series contender status. Meanwhile, Ricky Yiu achieved his 1,100th Hong Kong win, and trainers Dennis Yip and Mark Newnham also secured doubles.
Jockey Harry Bentley aims for consecutive victories aboard Packing Angel at Happy Valley. He also has rides on All Round Winner, Dashing Maurison, Harmony N Blessed, and Runjeet, with multiple horses showing strong recent form and potential.
Jockey Harry Bentley is set to ride Packing Angel in the Class Two Tai Tam Gap Handicap at Happy Valley, aiming for a second consecutive win. Bentley also has rides on several other horses trained by David Hayes and Douglas Whyte.
Patch Of Stars, ridden by Karis Teetan, won the Group Three Sha Tin Vase at Sha Tin on Sunday, narrowly defeating Raging Blizzard. This marks the horse's fourth win of the season and a significant step up in class.
Danny Shum Chap-shing took a two-win lead over Caspar Fownes in the Hong Kong trainers' championship after securing a double at Sha Tin on Sunday. Fownes also had a win at Sha Tin, while Hayes kept his slim title hopes alive. Alexis Badel also achieved a brace of wins.
Romantic Warrior secured the Triple Crown title by winning the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin. Jockey James McDonald received a three-meeting ban for careless riding.
Jockey James McDonald is confident in Romantic Warrior's chances of securing Hong Kong's Triple Crown in the Champions & Chater Cup. The champion galloper aims for a perfect season, having won all previous starts this year, and McDonald believes he is well-prepared despite the increased distance.
Hugh Bowman has a strong book of all-weather rides at Sha Tin on Wednesday that includes the consistent Aurora Patch, before he takes the reins on Japanese raider Rousham Park on May 26 in the Group One Champions and Chater Cup (2,400m) The Hiroyasu Tanaka-trained galloper is a Group Two winner and was a placegetter in the 2024 Group One Osaka Hai (2,000m) and 2024 Group One Breeders’ Cup Turf (2,400m) before running fifth in December’s Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m). Bowman is buoyed by the...
Francis Lui Kin-wai secured a Sha Tin double with Turquoise Velocity and Baby Sakura, moving to 45 wins in fifth place in what is shaping as an exciting trainers' championship race. Mark Newnham leads with 51 wins from Caspar Fownes (50), Danny Shum Chap-shing (50) and David Hayes (48). Turquoise Velocity won the Class Three Beijing Clubhouse Handicap while Baby Sakura scored in the Class Three Shenzhen Centre Handicap. Hugh Bowman is booked to ride Japan's Rousham Park against Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup on May 24.
Romantic Thor, trained by Danny Shum Chap-shing and ridden by Matthew Poon Ming-fai, won the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, leading throughout from barrier two with bottom weight of 116lb to beat Gentlemen Legacy by half a length. The five-year-old son of Justify, previously trained by Aidan O'Brien in Europe, secured his first Group Three victory while carrying the lightest weight in the seven-horse field. The win sets up a potential clash with stablemate Romantic Warrior in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup on May 24.
Andrea Atzeni is looking forward to pairing up with a trio of smart horses for the first time at Sha Tin on Sunday, including last season’s Champion Griffin Sky Jewellery in the Class Two Members Cup (1,600m). A three-time winner from five starts last season, John Size’s exciting galloper was unable to make the track for his intended return at the back end of last year after bleeding in a November barrier trial. He made up for lost time in no uncertain terms when he did get back to the races,...
Frankie Lor is hoping Stormy Grove can continue his upward trajectory in Sunday's Class Two Members Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin, believing the four-year-old is close to Group One level. The Classic Cup winner finished third in the Hong Kong Derby and was third reserve for the Champions Mile. Lor also runs Smart Golf (seeking a hat-trick) and veteran staker Money Catcher in his final season, while Galaxy Patch has transferred to Brett Crawford's stable.
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.
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.
British challengers Royal Champion and Docklands had their first canters at Sha Tin on Wednesday ahead of Group One targets, with Royal Champion set to face Hong Kong's Romantic Warrior and Japan's Masquerade Ball in the QEII Cup. Meanwhile, Japan's June Take was pulled up during workout by Joao Moreira but was reported fine after veterinary examination.
Six-time Group One winner Voyage Bubble and Sunlight Power must pass two veterinary inspections this week to compete in Sunday's Champions Mile at Sha Tin after both horses developed capped elbows.
Comanche Brave will be giving it his best shot when he faces the mammoth task of tackling the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising in the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Donnacha O’Brien-trained Irish galloper is yet to win in Group company, but he has been a consistent operator in the grade and heads to Hong Kong on the back of some career-best runs. A winner at Naas four starts ago, he then rattled through the line to finish third in the Group Two Solonaway...
Matthew Poon Ming-fai is looking forward to partnering with a “more tough, more strong and more focused” Mapogo in the Class Four Promoting Health For All Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The promising Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained galloper jumped as the $1.8 favourite at his debut run last month and finished fourth, one and three-quarter lengths behind Run Run Sunrise. The three-year-old had shown plenty of ability in trials but his lack of experience was evident on race day when placed...
Jockey Luke Ferraris is set to compete with four horses at Happy Valley on Wednesday, with each having strong potential for victory. Fivefortwo, in particular, is aiming for consecutive wins.
