By Paul Ryding

Vincent Ho will attempt to kickstart his season at Sha Tin on Saturday (4 October) with seven rides and a bit of help from some old friends among several leading chances.

Ho, who missed the bulk of last season when sidelined following a fall, has been feeling his way back into form after months of intense rehabilitation.

Discussing his rides at Saturday’s fixture, Ho highlighted The Boom Box (131lb), a three-time winner over course and distance, as a strong chance in the Class 3 Tung Lung Chau Handicap (1200m).

Paul Lally: 
R1: 3-2-9-12 
R2: 1-2-11-3 
R3: 14-5-1-9 
R4: 5-14-11-9 
R5: 11-2-6-3 
R6: 9-1-4-6 
R7: 10-4-12-7 
R8: 7-8-12-4 
R9: 3-7-5-2 
R10: 4-3-5-1 
Best Bet R10 N4 Gentleman Legacy 
Longshot R7 N10 Chill Buddy 
Play Race3 QQP 1-5-14 

Sha Tin Selections
(Saturday, October 04, 2025)

By Paul Ryding

Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday (1 October) when his stable star Fast Network (125lb) blitzed an impressive field under Alexis Badel, who won the contest for a third time.

Forever Young romped to an easy win in Wednesday’s $457,700 Nippon TV Hai Stakes at Funabashi Racecourse in Tokyo, Japan, a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Forever Young was third in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2024.

On Wednesday, Forever Young, ridden confidently by Ryusei Sakai, closed from fifth in a field of 10 to take the lead with slightly more than a furlong remaining. Forever Young won by 2 1/2 lengths over Revontulet, who also stalked pacesetter Light Warrior.

Group 3 racing in Hong Kong continues this Wednesday (1 October) at Sha Tin when eight runners – headlined by last year’s winner Beauty Waves (135lb) – face off in the HK$4.2 million G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) as part of the 10-race public-holiday programme on National Day in Hong Kong.

Forever Young, third in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2024 and the winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia in February, will start for the first time since April as a massive favorite in Wednesday’s $457,700 Nippon TV Hai Stakes at Funabashi Racecourse in Tokyo, Japan.

The Nippon TV Hai Stakes is a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar for Forever Young, who has won 8 of 11 starts.

Sha Tin Selections
(Wednesday, October 01, 2025)

My Wish remains on course for a tilt at the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in December after sweeping to an emphatic victory in the HK$4.2 million G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (28 September).

Held up in the straight as jockey Luke Ferraris searched for clear running, My Wish (130lb) eventually weaved between runner-up Copartner Prance (134lb) and Pray For Mir (128lb) and powered to a length and a quarter margin in 1m 20.79s. Happy Together (135lb) finished strongly for third, a short head further away.

Win Carnelian, winless in 12 starts since a Grade 3 sprint at Tokyo Racecourse in February 2023, a span that included an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November 2023, won his first Grade 1 race in Sunday’s $2.19 million Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

Win Carnelian (who paid $98.80 in American pools) was the ninth choice in a field of 16 and had an ideal trip under jockey Kosei Miura in the six-furlong race.