David Hayes hopes to keep alive trainers’ championship ambitions

By Leo Schlink

Clinging to hopes of a late-season miracle, David Hayes has not conceded in the battle with John Size for the 2024/25 Hong Kong trainers’ championship, but admits his faint chances of landing a third title hinge on a string of favourable results at Sha Tin on Sunday (13 July).

Trailing Size by six wins with only two meetings and 20 races left in the season, dual Hong Kong champion trainer Hayes will saddle nine runners across nine races at Sha Tin this weekend, while 12-time champion Size has 12 starters engaged in 10 races.

Having trimmed Size’s lead from eight with three winners to his fellow Australian’s one over the past two meetings, Hayes acknowledges the enormity of the challenge ahead as he attempts to add to the championships he collected in 1997/98 and 1998/99 during his first Hong Kong stint.

“It’s possible (to win the championship), but probably difficult. I’ve got solid chances on the weekend. What I basically need is for John not to win any races and I have to train a lot of winners. It’s highly unlikely, but we’ll try our best,” said Hayes, who has produced 60 wins this season with eight of his tally delivered by champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising.

Typically optimistic, Hayes is hoping to emulate Francis Lui’s incredible effort to claim the 2023/24 championship with a quartet at the season finale – with the decisive victory in the last race of the season giving the veteran a 70-69 margin over Pierre Ng, who led Lui by 16 at one stage of the campaign.

“When you see Francis came from nowhere last year and won it – we’re just at the stage now where we need John to not train winners and I need to keep training them. It’s a longshot – possible but unlikely,” Hayes said.

“I’ve got a couple of good chances on Sunday, two that wouldn’t surprise me if they won. We’re going for it and there could be a couple of surprises.”

Size and Hayes clash in nine races on Sunday, including the HK$4,075,000 Class 1 The Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy Handicap (1600m) where Size is represented by G1 FWD Champions Mile winner (1600m) winner Beauty Eternal (131lb) under James Orman, Bundle Award (116lb) for Andrea Atzeni and Young Champion (115lb), who will be ridden by Karis Teetan. Hayes has Soleil Fighter (115lb) for Ben Thompson.

Beauty Joy (135lb) heads the weights from Chancheng Glory (133lb), while Happy Together (129lb), Patch Of Theta (128lb), Massive Sovereign (126lb), Winning Dragon (115lb) and Keefy (115lb) complete a quality field.

David Eustace will be represented by Massive Sovereign as the 2024 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) victor makes his return since undergoing left hind fetlock surgery in December.

“It’s good to get him to the races. We’ve taken our time and naturally he’s going to improve for the run, but his trials have been good,” Eustace said.

“He’s fit and well. He’s obviously not 100 per cent fit but he’s fit enough to run and I think it will really benefit him having a run before the season finishes instead of having a really extended break and going back to the track.

“I’m looking forward to him getting there. He hasn’t missed a beat in his training. It’s a very tough race – it’s a really good race, which you’ve got to expect. I think the mile is a good kick-off point for him.”

With 36 wins in an impressive debut season, Eustace will attempt to boost that number when Mister Dapper bids for a third successive win in the Class 3 Sight Winner Handicap (1600m) under Teetan.

“He’s three weeks between runs and he seems to go really well fresh off four or five weeks, but this race was there and he’s going really well. He’s in great form and he’s obviously going to drop in weight, but he’s going to need to step up,” Eustace said.

With 360 career wins, Benno Yung is preparing for his final Sha Tin meeting as a trainer before retiring at the end of the season on 16 July and will saddle eight starters.

“There’s quite a few who are chances and thankfully some of them have got a good draw,” Yung said.

Sunday’s (13 July) Sha Tin 11-race card starts with the Class 5 Miraculous Handicap (1400m) at 4pm.