Preparing to compete against Hong Kong’s stellar jockey roster, Britney Wong is committed to learning from the world’s best riders as she embarks on the opening phase of her career as an apprentice jockey in her home city.

Wong, 25, is Hong Kong’s first homegrown female jockey to ride full time in the city since the retirement of Kei Chiong in 2018. Indentured to David Hall, Wong is determined to work hard and take her opportunities after learning to ride at The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School.

By Leo Schlink

Aiming to extend a remarkable consistency, David Hall hopes Flying Ace can kick-start his stable’s quest for more success in the HK$3.72 million Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) when the 2024/25 Hong Kong season opens at Sha Tin on Sunday (8 September).

Hall notched 44 wins last season to match his previous best haul – set in 2022/23 – crowning another fine campaign with Invincible Sage’s triumph in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

There may be Group 1 sprint stakes in Australia in the short-term future of Gatsby’s, provided the colt runs to expectations in Friday’s Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney.

Gatsby’s won his first start in five months in the Rosebud Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Aug. 17, and will race at the same distance in the $136,000 San Domenico Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds.

Bradsell won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday at York Racecourse in a performance more impressive than his three-quarter-length margin of victory.

Tracking the early leader, the Czech horse Ponntos, Bradsell zoomed to the lead in the final quarter-mile and was well clear with a half-furlong to run before Believing made up some ground. Believing never looked like she would get there, and Hollie Doyle, Bradsell’s jockey, said her mount had idled after opening daylight on the field.

Wednesday at York Racecourse in England, the great jockey Ryan Moore got City of Troy to relax on the lead and won the Group 1 International. Thursday at York, Moore could not get the filly Content to relax while racing several lengths off the pace, yet Content still closed strongly and won the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

In a career that includes seven stakes wins, the Australian mare Fangirl has shown the versatility to win at distances ranging from six furlongs to about 1 1/8 miles.

Her preferred distance is seven furlongs, accounting for four of her eight career wins in 25 starts. The specialty has made Fangirl a heavy favorite to win the Group 1 Winx Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney for the second consecutive year on Friday evening.

City of Troy finished ninth of 11 as the odds-on favorite beginning his 3-year-old campaign of 2024 in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May. Had he done what he was supposed to do, win the only race he’s lost, City of Troy might now be mentioned as one of the modern greats of the European turf. He still might be, though an American dirt race is what could propel him into the pantheon.