There are only nine meetings remaining in the Hong Kong season, and all eyes are fixed on what is proving to be one of the closest title fights in the history of racing in the city.

Victorious at the past seven meetings during a stretch that includes four doubles, Caspar Fownes holds the ascendancy on 62 wins, with Mark Newnham (58 victories) and Danny Shum (57) his biggest dangers.

Right in the hunt until recently, Francis Lui (51wins) and David Hayes (50) require something special to catapult themselves back into contention.

Sha Tin Selections
(Saturday, June 13, 2026)

By Paul Ryding
Eye-catching three-year-old Tycoon Resources improved to three wins from three outings as he cruised to another victory for trainer Tony Cruz, who secured a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (10 June).

The son of Written Tycoon has been turning heads at Happy Valley, where each of his wins has come so far, as well as in a series of impressive morning barrier trials at Sha Tin.

By Paul Jones

Tuesday, June 16
Queen Anne Stakes 

In the Queen Anne we have the strongest trends race of the 35 to take place at Royal Ascot to kick off the five-day extravaganza. 

Sixteen of the last 23 winners had already struck at Group 1 level and it is the Lockinge Stakes that has been the key guide having featured 25 Queen Anne winners since 1980 including Ribchester, Palace Pier and Baaeed who completed the double in three of the last nine seasons. 

By Tony Elves

Older Horses
Beautiful Diamond

Profile comment: Winner of four of her 16 starts and currently rated 105. Finished third, beaten a length and a quarter, to stablemate Night Raider in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock (5f) in May.

By Tony Elves

Older Horses
Enfjaar

Winner of four of his 14 starts and currently rated 108. Finished third, beaten three quarters of a length, to Boiling Point in the Listed Festival Stakes at Goodwood (1m 2f) on his reappearance in May. Best effort last season when an unlucky-in-running fourth, beaten a length and a half, to Haatem in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot (1m 2f) in June.

By Tony Elves

Older Horses
Hopewell Rock

Winner of two of his 7 starts and currently rated 101. Having his first run since being gelded when promising third, beaten a length and three quarters, to Daiquiri Bay at Newmarket (1m 4f) in May off his current mark.

By J A McGrath

Chris Waller was acclaimed an all-time great on the Australian turf when he chalked up his 200th Group 1 winner last month but now he hopes to repeat an experience that four years ago brought him worldwide fame.

Waller is preparing to unleash his latest female heroine on Royal Ascot — the aptly-named JOLIESTAR  — in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, over 6f, on Saturday 20th June.  It will be his fourth runner at the meeting he first visited back in 2015.

Famous worldwide for its June meeting, “Royal Ascot” is the most prestigious fixture in the UK Flat racing calendar. The meeting includes 8 Group 1 races, ranging in distance from the five-furlong King’s Stand Stakes to the two and a half mile Gold Cup, which spearhead five days of top-class racing comprising prestigious pattern races and historic handicaps such as the Royal Hunt Cup and Wokingham Stakes.

In his final column before Royal Ascot 2026, Simon Rowlands reveals his leading juveniles, with a quartet of suggested bets advised.

A recurrent theme in this series of blogs dealing with two-year-olds of 2026 is the importance of knowing what it usually takes to win or place in a given race.
There is a big difference between being “top on form” in a race of unknowns but 10lb below the typical winning standard and being 10lb superior to it. The former horse may well be a lay, while the latter will probably be a back.