By Declan Schuster

Only three wins separate the leading trio in the 2025/26 trainers’ championship, and Mark Newnham is hoping to make further ground when he saddles a team of seven at Happy Valley on Wednesday (3 June) as Armor Golden Eagle returns on the one-week back-up.

Caspar Fownes tops the table with 58 wins, while Newnham holds third on 55 following his weekend double, with Danny Shum middling the pair on 56. Francis Lui trails on 50, David Hayes has 49 and John Size rounds out the top six with 46 wins.

by Paul Ryding

Much has happened since Zac Purton stepped off a plane in Hong Kong in 2007 as a fresh-faced 24-year-old with little profile beyond Australia. Nineteen seasons later, the Australian stands alone as the first jockey to ride 2,000 winners in the city, a milestone reached at Sha Tin on Sunday (31 May) that further cemented his place among the giants of Hong Kong racing.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, June 03, 2026)

Zac Purton broke new ground at Sha Tin this afternoon (Sunday, 31 May) as the Australian became the first jockey to ride 2,000 winners in Hong Kong, reaching the milestone aboard Rising World (121lb) in the Hong Kong Wu Hua General Association Cup Plate (1200m) for Griffins. 

Breaking swiftly from barrier 10 on Brett Crawford’s two-year-old debutant, the eight-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey attained the phenomenal landmark on his 11,229th ride in the city, finishing a short-head in front of Almighty Warrior (126lb) in 1m 09.74s.

David Eustace and Jerry Chau – two of Hong Kong’s brightest racing talents – combined in memorable circumstances at Sha Tin on Sunday (31 May) to land the HK$4.2 million G3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m) with Light Years Charm (124lb) as Caspar Fownes edged closer to a fifth Hong Kong trainers’ championship with a double.

The biggest threat to Constitution River in Sunday’s Group 1 French Derby at Chantilly Racecourse turned out to be his stablemates.

Constitution River, who started in post 15 in a field of 16, closed from a stalking position to win the $1.75 million French Derby at 1 5/16 miles by three-quarters of a length over Hawk Mountain. With Montreal finishing third, a head behind Hawk Mountain, trainer Aidan O’Brien swept the first three positions.

Constitution River, ridden by Ryan Moore, paid $6.80 as the favorite in American pools.

Lovcen overcame a wide trip to win Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse, securing the first two divisions of the country’s Triple Crown.

Lovcen started from post 17 in a field of 18 and was three-wide or four-wide throughout. He rallied from the middle of the field through the final quarter-mile to win by a head, edging an unlucky Peintre Naif at the wire.

The $3.8 million Japanese Derby at 1 1/2 miles was Lovcen’s longest start, and his fourth win in his fifth start.

Lovcen set a course record with his win in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in April, a milestone that has left him a strong favorite to win the longest race of his career in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Derby at 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse.

Lovcen, a winner of 3 of 4 starts, was timed in 1:56.50 for 1 1/4 miles in the Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse on April 19. He finished three-quarters of a length in front of Realize Sirius, who is rated as the biggest threat to Lovcen in the $3.8 million Japanese Derby.

By Paul Ryding

With the season nearing its climax, Sha Tin hosts two Group 3 contests on Sunday (31 May), which will feature two improving young gallopers reaching their peaks this term.

Both Sky Jewellery and Patch Of Stars are at career-high marks of 95 and 101, respectively, and both will make their debut at Group level this weekend, looking to answer broader questions about their promise.