By Leo Schlink

Bidding to win the Hong Kong trainers’ championship in only his second season, Pierre Ng is pinning his hopes on four key runners as the young horseman braces for Francis Lui’s last-ditch challenge at Sunday’s (14 July) season finale at Sha Tin.

Clinging to a 67-66 lead over Lui after 87 meetings, Ng will field nine runners in seven races, while Lui will saddle 10 runners in nine races. Neither trainer has previously won the championship.

Paul Lally: 
R1 5-13-7-9 
R2 5-6-1-7 
R3 1-7-10-3 
R4 4-9-3-10 
R5 1-4-7-11 
R6 11-2-7-12 
R7 2-4-5-1 
R8 4-1-10-7 
R9 12-11-3-5 
R10 12-6-3-7 
R11 1-2-8-9 
Best Bet R11 N1 Patch Of Theta 
Longshot R10 N12 Smart City 
Play R5 QQP 1-4-7 

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, July 14, 2024) 

Nine starts, five wins, three seconds, and one third-place finish into her career, the multiple Group 1-winning filly Porta Fortuna finally should go favored when she faces six rivals Friday at Newmarket in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes.

Paul Lally:

R1 1-12-8-6
R2 7-3-12-1
R3 11-6-7-1
R4 4-5-10-12
R5 5-9-2-10
R6 9-6-5-1
R7 3-4-9-2
R8 3-8-7-1
R9 3-1-2-7

Best Bet R5 N5 Camino
Longshot R6 N9 Woodfire Bro
Play R9 QQP 1-2-3

Mark McNamara:

R1: 8.1.6.2
R2: 10.7.3.9
R3: 11.3.6.7
R4: 4.12.3.8
R5: 5.2.9.1
R6: 5.6.9.1
R7: 3.4.8.2
R8: 8.3.7.10
R9: 3.5.1.2

Tomodachi Kokoroe is aiming crown a superb season when he steps up in distance to contest the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Sun Jewellery Handicap (1650m) on Wednesday night (10 July) at the season’s final Happy Valley fixture.

Untested beyond 1400m, Tomodachi Kokoroe has won four times over 1200m in Hong Kong for trainer David Hayes. The Written Tycoon gelding was a six-time winner in Australia pre-import, scoring over 875m, 950m (twice), 1200m, 1250m and 1400m.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS
(Wednesday, July 10, 2024)

He made harder work of it than one might expect from a 1-5 shot, but City of Troy came through with a one-length win Saturday at Sandown Park in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes.

By Leo Schlink

Fresh from a Happy Valley double on Thursday night (4 July), Hugh Bowman is optimistic unbeaten The Winnabe can continue an impressive debut campaign with a strong performance in the Class 3 Chow Silver Plate Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (6 July).

Stepping to 1400m for the first time after a pair of 1200m victories, The Winnabe (126lb) faces 12 rivals including a string of recent winners led by Lovero (133lb), Gracious Express (131lb), Galvanic (124lb), King Miles (124lb) and Greenwich (120lb).

Paul Lally: 
R1: 9-4-1-3 
R2: 2-5-1-6 
R3: 1-3-6-5 
R4: 10-8-3-9 
R5: 2-1-4-5 
R6: 6-2-5-4 
R7: 12-10-3-2 
R8: 8-2-9-14 
R9: 5-9-2-4 
R10: 3-9-8-5 
Best Bet: R5 N2 Fun N Fun Together 
Longshot: R4 N10 Cosmo Navigator 
Play: R6 QQP 2-5-6