Size saddles dual threat aiming to capture final Group races of the season

By Paul Ryding

Master trainer John Size will look to close the 2025/26 Pattern Book on a high with victory in the final Group races of the season at Sha Tin on Sunday (21 June).

A G3 Premier Cup Handicap (1400m) and G3 Premier Plate Handicap (1800m) double-header headlines the latest ‘Summer Series’ race meeting, the 81st of 88 scheduled racedays.

Size, a 13-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer, is hoping to continue his typically strong finish to the season, which has delivered four wins, seven seconds and three thirds in the last five meetings.

He saddles a pair well capable of providing his fifth and third victories in the Premier Cup and Premier Plate, respectively.

Talented Raging Blizzard has been one of the hard-luck stories of the season. The Per Incanto gelding, who will tackle the Premier Cup, has failed to win in 10 outings despite never finishing outside the top six and filling the runner-up spot on four occasions. His last run on 31 May was a creditable second in the G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m), crossing the line a short head behind impressive favourite Patch Of Stars, to whom he gave 14lb.

“He’s been really great,” Size said of the six-year-old. “He’s so consistent and he’s so honest. He always puts in a good run. He deserves to win a decent race, but, unfortunately, he’s sometimes disadvantaged, and it’s a bit of a struggle for him to get home.”

Raging Blizzard (134lb) breaks from stall two and will be ridden by a resurgent Brenton Avdulla, who has found some late-season form, saluting four times in the last four meetings. Although 1400m is not his preferred distance, Size believes his charge can still deliver that elusive win at this late stage of the campaign.

“He seems healthy and well,” Size said. “He continues to train on, even though he’s getting towards the end of the season. He still feels all right. His work has been good. So, hopefully, he’ll run another good race.

“He just needs a moderate pace where they don’t go too hard for him. 1400 (metres) is probably as far as he wants to go. He can get comfortable and he can spring home.”

Size sends out progressive four-year-old Nautical Force (115lb) in a wide-open renewal of the Premier Plate. The British-bred chestnut, so impressive on his Hong Kong debut in April over 1800m, disappointed second up in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) in May.

Though he was found to have blood in his trachea following that contest – run in dire conditions – Size admitted perhaps the maximum distance was too much, too soon for the young galloper.

“Maybe he wasn’t comfortable in the rain,” Size said. “It was only his second run in Hong Kong, and it was certainly a big ask to put him in the 2400m. But it seemed a logical thing to do at the time.

“He probably didn’t make the adaptation to that race straight away. He’s had some time to get over that and a couple of trials. We might be back to where we were. And, hopefully, he can run well.”

Size’s contender will go up against an experienced chance from Ricky Yiu’s yard in that contest. Sunlight Power (131lb) will be ridden by Hugh Bowman, who said it was a solid pick-up.

“He looks good to me,” Bowman said. “He’s raced consistently at the high level all season, and I think the 1800m is a very suitable distance for him. He’s a good ride.

“He’s consistent, even at the highest level – despite probably being a few lengths off the top horses – he’s always thereabouts. Given the opportunity without some of those more fancied runners in the field, that gives him his chance.”

Yiu said he was trusting his instinct in running the 34-race veteran over 1800m for only the second time in his career.

“He’s done okay recently,” Yiu said. “I just have a gut feeling about 1800 metres this weekend. He enjoys a bit of cut on the ground, so these conditions should help him.”

Sunday’s (21 June) 11-race fixture at Sha Tin starts at 4pm with the Class 4 Ruby Handicap (1000m).