Sweet success on the cards for Gummy Gummy and Purton June 16, 2023 THERE are ominous signs that jockey Zac Purton’s quest to ride the most Hong Kong winners in a season is in danger of coming up short. Purton arrives at Sha Tin on Sunday with 10 booked rides on a highly competitive 11-race programme, and will surely need a red-letter day if he is to give [...]
Speedy Fortunes to be made with Galaxy Witness June 16, 2023 THE feature race of the day, the £260,000 Lek Yuen Handicap (12.35pm) over seven furlongs, sees the return of the Douglas Whyte-trained Flaming Rabbit, who was unlucky to be caught out by Tuchel over a mile last month. Given an enterprising, near pin-point-perfect ride by Lyle Hewitson, his supporters could be forgiven for making a [...]
All singing and all Dancing for Fownes’ Code June 13, 2023 BE READY for the unexpected once again when Hong Kong racing gets under way with a midweek nine-race programme at Happy Valley. Over the past six weeks or so, unpredictable weather patterns of sweltering heat, followed by intermittent heavy rain and thunderstorms, have caused chaos for regular form book students, with surface conditions turning from [...]
Resurgent Man free to Hunt more success at the Valley June 13, 2023 FOR A trainer who was set to be put out to grass and retired by the end of the season, due to the maximum 65-year-old age rule, Manfred Man has seen his fortunes turn full-circle. His association with the current highest-rated sprinter in the world, Lucky Sweynesse, has seen the Hong Kong Jockey Club waver [...]
Wong set for another Winwin at Sha Tin June 9, 2023 FORMER HKJC graduate and claiming rider Ellis Wong could be set for a memorable day when arriving at Sha Tin for a 10-race programme on Saturday. Wong has already made his mark since joining the jockeys’ roster over a month ago, with two wins from just 15 rides, and is earning plenty of plaudits along [...]
Sage advice would be to go with Invincible June 9, 2023 TRAINER David Hayes has made no secret that he expects his highly-progressive three-year-old Lucky Encounter to complete a hat-trick in the Pok Fu Lam Country Park Handicap (1.10pm) over six furlongs. Hayes have been particularly bullish about the prospects of his Australian import, following his latest success when leading all the way, and beating Reward [...]
Fingers Crossed for a big-Sized Valley Reward June 6, 2023 ONCE again bettors on Hong Kong racing will need to keep a watchful eye on the weather when the midweek meeting at Happy Valley gets underway with a nine-race programme. With rain and thunderstorms forecast to hit the territory for 48 hours, starting on Tuesday, some gallopers arriving at the inner-city track could find themselves [...]
Turin Mascot could turn out to be Pierre Ng’s lucky charm June 6, 2023 SERIOUS form book students are once again faced by the dilemma of perennial place-getter Rocket Spade seeking to defy top-weight and record an overdue first Hong Kong win in the Sam Chuk Handicap (2.45pm) over nine furlongs. The former New Zealand Derby winner has had his supporters tearing their hair out with frustration this season, [...]
Youthful to make a winning Deal at Sha Tin June 2, 2023 HONG KONG racing enthusiasts can look forward to lie in on Sunday morning when the Sha Tin race programme starts at a later-than-usual 9.00am. This is due to a Hong Kong Jockey Club initiative of introducing ‘Twilight Racing’ at Sha Tin for the purpose of welfare to horses and jockeys, with continuous sweltering heat in [...]
Hewitson can Chow down on another winner June 2, 2023 ONE OF the feel-good factors associated with Hong Kong racing this season has been the continued rise in the jockey ranks of former three-time South African champion Lyle Hewitson. The 25-year-old first tried his luck in the city back in 2019, but was soon sent packing with his tail between his legs, after riding only [...]
