By Paul Ryding

Luke Ferraris reunites with David Eustace-trained Dazzling Fit in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 March) and believes the galloper can be competitive despite being one of the lowest-rated entries in the field.

A third-place finish in a Class 3 1800m contest under Zac Purton this month, raising Dazzling Fit’s rating to 76, was enough to secure a place in Sunday’s field. That day, he finished half a length behind the winner, to whom he gave 11 pounds, BMW Hong Kong Derby prospect Flow Water Flow.

Hidden Force remained unbeaten after two starts with a comfortable win in Wednesday’s $81,000 European Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes at Kempton Park in England.

The one-mile race is part of the European-Middle East qualifying division for the Kentucky Derby. Hidden Force earned 20 qualifying points, and currently is tied for second in the standings.

The European-Middle East division encompasses 10 races, beginning last September through late March. The series concludes with the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 28.

By Declan Schuster

Numbers is one of Hong Kong racing’s brightest talents, and jockey Derek Leung hopes the imposing galloper can make a big impact in Sunday’s (1 March) HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) for in-form trainer Frankie Lor.

A two-time winner from only three starts in the city, headlined by his two-length score in the HK$4.2 million G3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) this month, the classy Numbers has emerged as a leading contender in this weekend’s race – the second leg of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series – at Sha Tin.

By Declan Schuster

Five rivals stand in the way of Romantic Warrior’s Triple Crown bid when Sunday’s (1 March) HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) jumps at Sha Tin, including Mark Newnham’s quality talent My Wish, who links with Hugh Bowman. 

A star of his four-year-old class last season, My Wish returned in a big way this campaign by reeling off two wins in his first two appearances – G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) and G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m), before two midfield finishes in Group 1 contests over the mile.

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

Best Bet R9 N7 Refusetobeenglish 
Longshot R1 N4 Triumphant Warrior 
Play R5 QQP 1-4-6    

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

In the 10th instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, we run through David Hayes’ Four-Year-Old Classic Series team with a particular eye on Akashvani.

Hayes expects to be pinning his hopes on Akashvani for the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) this Sunday (1 March) at Sha Tin, although he is hopeful he’ll have another galloper or two put their hands up in time for the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March.

By Declan Schuster

Trainer Pierre Ng believes Sagacious Life’s proven stamina will play a decisive role across the remaining legs of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series, with Sunday’s (1 March) HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin preceding the HK$26 million 149th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, February 25, 2026)

Costa Nova cruised to the front in the final sixteenth to win the Grade 1 February Stakes at a mile on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, becoming the third horse to win Japan’s leading wintertime dirt race for the second time.

With the win, Costa Nova earned a fees-paid berth for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

The 5-year-old New Zealand-bred, Hong Kong-based gelding Ka Ying Rising won his career debut on Dec. 3, 2023. Back for a second race about a month later, Ka Ying Rising lost by a nose, and 20 days later, Jan. 21, 2024, he was defeated by a similarly narrow margin. Not only has nobody beaten him since, no one has come especially close, and none of his 9 rivals Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse stood anything close to a chance.