By Declan Schuster

Frankie Lor led last season’s dirt course standings with 10 wins and, on Wednesday night (1 April) at Sha Tin, the trainer is represented by a formidable outfit in seven of the nine races as apprentice Nichola Yuen makes her debut in Hong Kong with five rides. 

Lor has only one dirt track win this campaign, although he is aiming to rectify that at tomorrow’s all-dirt programme when the twice-placed, lightly raced One Man Show (133lb) tackles the first section of the Class 4 Ma Tau Wai Handicap (1200m).

Sha Tin Selections
(Wednesday, April 01, 2026)

By Paul Ryding

Mark Newnham’s marvellous March continued at Sha Tin on Sunday (29 March) when the Australian handler snared a treble that saw him return to the top of the trainers’ championship.

The third-year trainer claimed his first HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) triumph earlier this month, comfortably the biggest win of his Hong Kong career. On 18 March, he saddled the first quintet of his career.

Sunday’s treble fired him back to the trainers’ standings summit on 45 wins, two clear of Caspar Fownes on 43. Danny Shum sits two wins back on 41.

Satono Reve was the 2025 champion sprinter in Japan and made an early claim for the same title this year with a late rally to win the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse on Sunday for the second consecutive year.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Satono Reve closed steadily from the middle of a field of 18 through the final quarter-mile. Satono Reve reached contention with a sixteenth of a mile remaining in the turf race, and won by two lengths.

Sha Tin Selections

(Sunday, March 29, 2026)

Danon Bourbon, a Kentucky-bred colt by Maxfield, remained unbeaten after three starts with an important win in Saturday’s $227,800 Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

The win may lead to a start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2.

Danon Bourbon has earned 40 points in Japan’s four-race qualifying series, and is tied for first place on the list with Don Erectus, who finished second in the Fukuryu Stakes.

Only one runner from the Japan series will earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby.

Proven at 1 1/4 miles in Europe in recent years, Ombudsman showed he is just fine racing at 1 1/8 miles with a smart win in Saturday’s Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

Ombudsman, who paid a mere $2.80 in American pools, closed from fifth in a field of 11 to win by two lengths over 9-1 Quddwah. 

John Gosden, who trains with his son Thady, said Ombudsman was not in peak form for the $5 million Dubai Turf,  the 5-year-old horse’s first start since October.

John Gosden described the win as a “big relief.”

It took more work than one might have imagined, but odds-on favorite Calandagan eventually wore down the longshot pacesetter West Wind Blows and won the Group 1, $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.

The trend continues.

Dark Saffron won the Group 1 Golden Shaheen for sprinters at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday for the second consecutive year.

In 2025, Dark Saffron was one of two 3-year-olds in the Golden Shaheen field and led throughout, paying $132.60 in American pools.

On Saturday, Dark Saffron won the $2 million Golden Shaheen with a similar style, racing near the front throughout. He was rated as an outsider again, paying $48.80.

The Dubai-based sprinter Native Approach repelled a late threat from Lugal of Japan to record a surprise win in Saturday’s Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on turf at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

Native Approach, ridden by Connor Beasley for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash, disputed the lead throughout and won the six-furlong Al Quoz Sprint by a neck over Lugal.