By Declan Schuster
James Orman is a man in flying form and the Australian jockey, buoyed by an extension to his riding contract which sees him remain in Hong Kong until the end of this season, heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday night (7 January) with four mounts, including Superb Guy (123lb) in the Class 4 Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1650m).
Paul Lally
R1 3-2-12-7
R2 6-7-3-9
R3 12-7-11-1
R4 2-7-1-4
R5 1-5-9-10
R6 8-2-4-9
R7 2-9-5-7
R8 10-12-2-11
R9 2-3-7-10
Best Bet R7 N2 Horsepower
Longshot R9 N2 Loch Tay
Play Race4 QQP 1-2-7
Mark McNamara
R1: 3.10.2.5
R2: 3.6.9.7
R3: 4.12.10.1
R4: 2.1.7.12
R5: 9.1.10.2
R6: 2.9.8.3
R7: 3.2.1.7
R8: 2.10.1.12
R9: 3.7.1.4
Best Bet R5 N9 Superb Guy
Longshot R7 N3 Red Elegance
Play R5 Q/QP 1.9.10
In the third instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, we zero in on a pair of Frankie Lor-trained up and comers with the potential to make an impact in the 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
With less than four weeks until the first leg of the prestigious series – the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 1 February – and with the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March on the horizon, Numbers and Regal Gem have both built ratings that will ensure them a start should their esteemed handler choose to head that way.
Paul Lally:
R1: 1-14-8-2
R2: 6-1-2-4
R3: 6-4-1-8
R4: 7-6-10-1
R5: 3-2-1-7
R6: 4-2-10-12
R7: 1-8-7-2
R8: 6-8-11-1
R9: 1-11-8-7
R10: 3-6-5-9
R11: 1-13-2-10
Best Bet R11 N1 Everyone’s Star
Longshot R4 N7 Virtuous Phantom
Play R9 QQP 1-8-11
By Leo Schlink
Mark Newnham hopes Winfield can emerge as a leading HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series prospect when the dual Brazilian Group 1 winner makes his Hong Kong debut in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Leighton Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (4 January).
By Declan Schuster
Pierre Ng is confident Sagacious Life (130lb) can propel his advance towards the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series when the trainer’s highest-rated prospect lines up in Sunday’s (4 January) HK$3.12 million Class 2 Leighton Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin.
A first-up winner in Hong Kong after arriving from Brazil as a Group 1 triumphant, the Leslie Lui-owned Sagacious Life makes his third start after finishing an unlucky sixth on 30 November, when he was briefly blocked at a crucial stage in the home straight.
By Leo Schlink
Karis Teetan extended a deepening affinity with the HK$4.2 million G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Thursday (1 January) when the Mauritian pocketed his fourth victory in the race by piloting David Hayes-trained Storm Rider to a thrilling victory.
Teetan had previously triumphed in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup on Fifty Fifty (2018), Champion’s Way (2021) and Patch Of Theta (2025), while Hayes’ most recent success in the race was with Schubert in 2000.
By Declan Schuster
Tomodachi Kokoroe (135lb) is enjoying his best season to date and Harry Bentley is hopeful the speedster can maintain his positive trajectory in Thursday’s (1 January) HK$4.2 million G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin, although the British rider is tempering his expectations with the contest’s highest-rated horse.
