Michael Chang is hoping his stable’s current highest-flyer Righteous Doctrine will continue his ascent up the ratings when he contests Wednesday’s Class 2 Hong Kong Reunification Cup Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin.
Zac Purton boosted his championship claims on Wednesday night with a fantastic four-timer at Happy Valley and this Saturday at Sha Tin he is aiming to draw further clear of great rival Joao Moreira with a full book of 10 rides.
Zac Purton struck a four-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday (24 June) that left his great rival Joao Moreira with a mountainous task in the title race and lifted Francis Lui right back into champion trainer reckoning.
There are seven meetings left in the 2019/20 Hong Kong racing season and while the talk of the town has been the champion jockey race between Zac Purton and Joao Moreira, it’s the man dubbed the ‘Mauritian Magician’ who has stolen the spotlight of late with seven wins from the last two race meetings.
Zac Purton extended his lead in the jockeys’ premiership at Sha Tin on Sunday to four wins thanks to a double. The Australian has 132 on the board to Moreira’s 128 after the latter’s single win.
Jolly Banner (114lb) showed plenty of vim for a veteran as he battled past younger rivals to win the G3 Premier Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Vincent Ho bagged his first Group 1 victory aboard Southern Legend in the FWD Champions Mile and on Sunday at Sha Tin they pair up again in search of more Pattern-race success when they tackle the HK$3.25 million G3 Premier Plate Handicap (1800m).
Hong Kong racing will offer record prize money of HK$1.4 billion for the 2020/21 season, with the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and BMW Hong Kong Derby featuring prominently among the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s upward adjustments revealed on Tuesday.
Lakeshore Eagle soared to a third win on the bounce and initiated a mid-card four-timer for Karis Teetan who continued a flaming streak at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Sparkling Knight (116lb) took a large stride forward in his development with a breakthrough win in the Class 4 Macwhinnie Cup (1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, zipping home in 55.20s, just 0.08s off the class record.
A pair of cracking Class 2 contests highlight Sunday’s 11-race card and Joao Moreira is looking to keep his momentum rolling as he aims to close the gap on premiership leader Zac Purton (129-126) with only nine meetings left in the Hong Kong racing season.
Joao Moreira got the fillip he’d been looking for at Happy Valley on Wednesday night teaming up with Caspar ‘King of the Valley’ Fownes to nail a much-needed double
Eternal Harvest’s victory in the Class 3 Durham Handicap (1000m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night kept Ricky Yiu ticking along at the top of the standings and maintained his five-win lead over next-best Francis Lui, who was also on the mark.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Thursday two wagering-related initiatives for the 2020/21 racing season. The Club will relaunch the Forecast betting pool and merge it with Trio, forming the “Forecast & Trio Merged Pool”. It will also increase the rebates for losing bets placed on Quinella and Quinella Place.
After Matthew Poon grabbed the spotlight with a four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday, Zac Purton and Joao Moreira are looking to resume normal service at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Champion’s Way steps out on the road to the BMW Hong Kong Derby in Saturday’s Class 1 Panasonic Cup Handicap (1400m), aiming to build on an impressive first season in which he set a high bar for his classic-bound peers.
Alfred Chan broke new ground with the first three-timer of his career at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys’ School scholar opened with Magic Supreme, continued with Care Free Prince and wrapped up with Baltic Whisper.
Matthew Poon illuminated a rain-drenched Sunday at Sha Tin with a four-timer capped by victory aboard the courageous Perfect Match in the Class 2 Butterfly Handicap (1400m).
Joao Moreira knows he needs to turn up the heat and emerge firing from a rare cold spell if he’s to claw back a five-win deficit in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship
Karis Teetan goes into Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting well astern of Zac Purton and Joao Moreira in the title race but the in-from rider has a solid grip on third place with 76 wins, a tally that puts him within striking range of his personal best of 84.
Reliable Team’s battling win in the Class 2 Cochrane Handicap (1800m) ensured Karis Teetan enjoyed a memorable 30th birthday at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Top Military (117lb) delivered a bazooka of a shock in section two of the Class 4 Staunton Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening, to help jockey Ben So to his first double since November 2016.
Ricky Yiu is hoping a first Hong Kong win for Super Oasis in Wednesday’s Class 2 Cochrane Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley can provide the spur he needs to repel Tony Cruz’s mounting challenge for the champion trainer title.
