By Paul Ryding

The picture of who lines up in the first leg of the 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series should come into sharper focus after the Sha Tin meeting on Sunday (11 January).

Up to a dozen talented four-year-olds, who could earn their place in the starter list for the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 1 February, are in action on a potentially decisive weekend.

All eyes will be on the Class 3 (Restricted) Pak Shek Au Handicap (1600m), which shapes as a Hong Kong Classic Mile trial for several runners and a final tune-up for others.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, January 11, 2026)

By Leo Schlink

Caspar Fownes reclaimed the lead in a rollercoaster battle for the 2025/26 Hong Kong trainers’ championship with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (7 January) while the four-time champion’s long-time ally Vincent Ho dominated with a treble.

Fownes moved past Mark Newnham with the victories of Love Together and Perfect General under Ho to have 29 wins for the season to lead Newnham (28), Danny Shum (25) and David Hayes (24), while taking his career tally to 1,195 victories.

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.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, January 07, 2026)

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 

Sha Tin Selections
(Saturday, January 03, 2026)

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).