By Declan Schuster

Straight Arron (135lb) must overcome a hefty impost in Sunday’s (8 February) HK$4.2 million G3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin, but trainer David Hayes believes the step back in grade can prove to be a decisive factor for the contest’s highest-rated runner.

Preparing to face six opponents, seven-year-old Straight Arron tops the field, rated 110 against Beauty Joy (134lb), last year’s winner Chancheng Glory (132lb), Encountered (126lb), Speed Dragon (126lb), Ensued (125lb) and Numbers (115lb). 

By Leo Schlink

David Hayes has continued a remarkable domination of the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge, clinching victory in the series for the third consecutive season after Romantic Son’s (135lb) stunning success at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (4 February).

After Tomodachi Kokoroe shared the spoils in 2023/24 with Danny’s Shum Copartner Ambition, Hayes has triumphed outright across the past two years with Soleil Fighter and now Romantic Son.

The speedy colt Plagiarism is held in such regard in Australia that he may be favored as a maiden in Saturday’s $1.39 million Inglis Millennium Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

The race could produce starters for the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at six furlongs on March 21. The $3.24 million Golden Slipper is the world’s richest race for 2-year-olds.

In the seventh instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, we dial in on what history suggests might happen from here after Little Paradise’s stunning HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) success at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 February).

By Declan Schuster

Regal Gem (116lb) tops the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge on 42 points, and trainer Frankie Lor is eyeing overall success when the galloper lines up in the HK$2.84 million Class 2 Blue Pool Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday night (4 February) at Happy Valley.

Lor said: “I’m trying to win the Million Challenge with him. Sometimes he has had difficult draws, so it hasn’t been easy this season. We’re leading by six points, and at this moment, we can’t say who will win – it’s still very close.”

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

Best Bet R5 N4 Forza Toro
Longshot R4 N1 Young Bravo
Play R7 QQP 5-8-9

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

BEST: R2 N1 FATAL BLOW (WIN)
VALUE: R9 N9 WIN BEAUTY VIVA (EW)
PLAY: R9 QQP 4,5,9

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, February 04, 2026)

By Leo Schlink

Emphatically dispelling stamina doubts, Little Paradise surged to a devastating victory in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 February) to underline imposing credentials for the remainder of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

By Paul Ryding

It’s a peculiarity of Hong Kong racing: two classy four-year-old imports, both with highly credible overseas form, each bred to get the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) distance and Privately Purchased (PP) with the Four-Year-old Classic Series in mind. Yet one takes flight, the other remains grounded.

Ahead of the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 February), the contrasting fortunes of Sagacious Life and Shanwah during their brief time in the city could hardly be starker.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, February 01, 2026)