Nichola Yuen stars with Sha Tin midweek treble

By Leo Schlink

Nichola Yuen’s impressive rise continued at Sha Tin’s all-dirt meeting on Wednesday night (28 October) when the apprentice slotted the second treble of a burgeoning Hong Kong career to consolidate second place on the jockeys’ championship.

With 16 wins from 91 rides this season, Yuen trails only nine-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey Zac Purton (26 wins) in the 2026/27 standings after triumphing aboard Me Tsui’s Macanese Master (122lb) in the Class 5 Tsim Me Fung Handicap (1200m), Yoda’s Choice (121lb) for Pierre Ng in the Class 4 Tiu Yue Yung Handicap (1800m) and Ricky Yiu’s Giant Leap (122lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Shek Uk Shan Handicap (1200m).

With Purton sidelined through suspension tonight, Yuen capitalised on her 7lb claim to dominate the meeting with her second treble of the season.

“I’m very happy with all the opportunities I’m getting,” Yuen, 26, said. “I’m getting good rides and good support from a lot of trainers and also my master Mr Ricky Yiu. He teaches me a lot and hopefully we can have more wins.

“I’m very happy with the way things are going and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m getting. Hopefully, I can keep doing my best,” Yuen said.

Pierre Ng extended his lead in the trainers’ championship after Yoda’s Choice improved his overall record to four wins and eight minor placings from 37 starts after making a successful return from knee surgery in June.

"He's tough - he had a knee operation since his win last season to take out a chipped bone, which I suppose may have helped him move more freely,” said Ng, who has 15 wins for the campaign, two more than Caspar Fownes.

“He had two trials going into this race and we thought he wouldn't be 100 per cent yet, but he was still fresh enough to hit the line first. I do believe he'll be better for this run.”

Apprentice Britney Wong rode her first winner of the campaign with Happydearhappydeer’s (113lb) victory in the second section of the Class 5 Wa Mei Shan Handicap (1650m) for Tony Cruz.

“It’s been almost two months since the season started and two months without a winner feels like forever, but I’m glad I got the winner today for Tony,” Wong said.

“With these two months, I’ve been talking to a lot of people – a lot of jockeys, a lot of trainers and especially Amy (Chan, Headmistress, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys’ School) and Felix (Coetzee, Apprentice Jockeys’ School Chief Riding Instructor, The Hong Kong Jockey Club), who I work very closely with – and we all know this is just racing.

“This is just how it works in this industry. You get your ups and downs, so the only thing is I just have to keep my head down and keep pushing.”

Cruz said: “This horse has been out for a long time and it’s great he has such great owners (Hong Yiu, Lynn Fu Lam Wu, Yan Hao and Wang Kejia) who have been extremely patient and given me the time to get the horse back.

“I’m happy to have won this race for the owners. He jumped good and Britney rode him well.”

Tsui produced a winning double with Macanese Master and Speedy Trident (118lb), who scored at 66/1 for Keith Yeung in the first section of the Class 5 Wa Mei Shan Handicap (1650m), breaking through at his 23rd Hong Kong start.

Jimmy Ting posted his first win of the season when former Macau galloper Happy Universe (135lb) claimed Hero Rising (122lb) late to clinch the Class 4 Tin Ha Shan Handicap (1650m) under Derek Leung.

David Eustace continued his strong start to the season, notching his 11th victory for the term with Central Bank’s (129lb) emphatic win in the first section of the Class 4 Shek Uk Shan Handicap (1200m) under Jerry Chau.

Bustling City (127lb) blazed to a three-and-a-quarter length victory in the Class 3 Hebe Hill Handicap (1200m) under Brenton Avdulla to provide David Hayes his 11th win of the season before Lucky Sam Gor (126lb) made a successful debut on the dirt with a stirring win in the Class 3 Pyramid Hill Handicap (1650m) under Chau, who is in third place in the jockeys’ championship with 14 wins.

Trained by Mark Newnham, the Press Statement gelding claimed his sixth victory in Hong Kong, adding to five wins last season and taking his career prizemoney to HK$7.5 million from 25 starts.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Sunday (1 November).