Andre Fabre struck with his very first International Races runner in Hong Kong when Borgia and Olivier Peslier scraped the paint on their way to success in the 1999 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), and it is the longest of the four Group 1s on the card which has remained the French training maestro’s touchstone at Sha Tin.

Maxime Guyon was aboard for both Flintshire’s win in 2014 and again 12 months ago when Junko claimed the prize, while Fabre’s overall record in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase is three wins, four seconds and a third from 13 starters.

Paul Lally:

R1: 4-11-5-2
R2: 6-3-7-5
R3: 1-8-13-10
R4: 5-3-13-1
R5: 1-9-2-12
R6: 1-11-8-4
R7: 12-2-13-6
R8: 1-9-4-11
R9: 13-6-3-1
R10: 10-9-12-1

Best Bet: R7 N12 Jantar Mantar
Longshot: R4 N5 Iresine
Play: R10 QQP 9-10-12

Mark McNamara:

R1: 12.13.1.14
R2: 5.3.6.7
R3: 1.8.4.13
R4: 1.5.2.13
R5: 1.3.12.13
R6: 4.8.11.1
R7: 2.1.3.12
R8: 1.9.4.6
R9: 3.1.6. 13
R10: 10.12.9.4

By Declan Schuster

Trainer Ricky Yiu is hoping to go one better with stable flagbearer Voyage Bubble in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on Sunday, 8 December at Sha Tin after the galloper finished second behind former champion Golden Sixty in 2023.

Yiu’s charge will step away from barrier five against 13 rivals as he aims to follow on from last-start HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) success.

By Daryl Timms

David Hayes’ outstanding sprinter Ka Ying Rising must overcome a challenging outside barrier in Sunday’s (8 December) HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin if he is to continue to push his claim as potentially the world’s best speedster.

The Sha Tin 1200m track record holder drew barrier 11 in the 14-horse field for the Group 1 feature – a barrier that no horse has won from in the past 18 runnings.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, December 08, 2024)

By Scott Burton and Mariko Seki

Japanese superstar Yuga Kawada and trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida find themselves in the familiar role of attempting to spoil the party in Sunday’s HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), with Liberty Island viewed by many observers as the main danger to Romantic Warrior’s hat-trick bid.

A year ago, the same combination attempted to topple Peter Lau and Danny Shum’s icon with Prognosis, who flew wide and late to be fifth, beaten only a length.

By Scott Burton

Mickael Barzalona bookended a dominant performance in the LONGINES International Jockeys Championship (IJC) with victories in the first and last legs of the four-race challenge to become the third French rider to lift the trophy following Christophe Lemaire (2009) and Olivier Peslier (1998 & 2006). 

Barzalona got off the the perfect start when dropping top weight Sergeant Pepper’s head on the line to land the 1st Leg, depriving William Buick in the final stride to kick off with a maximum 12 points, run over 1000m.

By Tom Peacock

Ryan Moore was playing it typically cool over his chances in Wednesday’s (4 December) LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley.

Moore was among the 12 superstar riders at the LONGINES IJC Press Conference in Tai Kwun, the culture and heritage venue in Central, Hong Kong.

The 41-year-old has put his hands on the LONGINES IJC trophy on two occasions in 2009 and 2010 and has been virtually an ever-present in intervening years as well as winning most of the calendar’s noteworthy races.