By Leo Schlink

Champion jockey Ryan Moore crowned a short-term Hong Kong riding stint in style at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (5 March), departing with a double which propelled John Size to the top of the 2024/25 trainers’ championship.

Moore and Size combined with Golden Rise and Beauty Alliance, leaving Moore with four wins and five placings from 26 rides across a three-meeting cameo, while Size vaulted to the top of the trainers’ standings with 36 wins for the campaign – the same as David Hayes – but with more minor placings.

Paul Lally:

R1 2-1-6-9

R2 5-1-2-6

R3 6-4-3-1

R4 4-1-10-7

R5 4-3-11-6

R6 1-5-9-2

R7 3-4-6-8

R8 8-7-1-4

R9 9-2-4-5

Best Bet R8 N8 Sky Vino

Longshot R7 N3 Francis Meynell

Play R2 QQp 1-2-5

Tom Wood: 

R1:       1-6-8-2

R2:       5-10-1-11

R3:       3-1-6-2

R4:       2-1-11-4

R5:       1-3-7-4

R6:       5-1-2-11

R7:       4-8-6-1

R8:       4-8-10-1

R9:       2-5-6-1

James Orman has hit the ground running in Hong Kong and the Australian heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday night (5 March) armed with seven mounts including last-start winner Turin Warrior in the Class 4 Sichuan Bipenggou Tourist Attractions Handicap (1650m).

Orman, 27, has made an immediate impact with two wins from six rides on a short-term contract which runs until after the race meeting on 2 April. The in-demand jockey is eyeing more momentum at the city circuit as he aims to capitalise on his biggest book of rides yet.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, March 05, 2025)

Brenton Avdulla continued a blossoming season by dominating at Sha Tin on Sunday (2 March), crowning a stellar display with victory in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on David Hayes-trained Rubylot before piloting emerging HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) hopeful Enthralled to an important triumph.

Imperial Emperor will face much stronger competition in the Dubai World Cup on April 5 than he did Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in the Al Maktoum Classic, but the manner in which he disposed of 14 foes suggests the horse won’t be overwhelmed by the step up in class.

Breaking from an outside post, Imperial Emperor and jockey Tadgh O’Shea were caught three to five paths wide with no cover on both turns of the 2,000-meter Al Maktoum Classic yet still went on to an 8.46-length victory over Artorius in this Group 2 dirt contest.

Super Saturday is not so super these days, the annual Meydan lead-in to the Dubai World Cup card something of an afterthought as the Saudi Cup and its attendant stakes, inaugurated in 2020, has gained momentum.

by Declan Schuster

David Hayes is relishing a banner season and the two-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer (1997/98 & 1998/99) is aiming to add Sunday’s (2 March) HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) to a trio of Group 1 races won this term with star sprinter Ka Ying Rising.

Represented by Rubylot and Mondial in the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Hayes won this race in 1999 with Resfa and is hoping to enhance a championship-leading 33 wins when he saddles nine runners across the afternoon’s 10-race programme.

by Declan Schuster

After a monumental weekend celebrating Hong Kong’s current star thoroughbreds racing on the world stage, attention now turns to the next generation of talent as it converges on Sunday’s (2 March) HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin.

Following Romantic Warrior’s G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) second in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday night (22 February), Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble both dazzled with classy victories at Sunday’s (23 February) Group 1 double-header in Hong Kong.

by Declan Schuster

David Hayes was forced to share victory in last year’s DBS x Manulife Million Challenge but tonight (Wednesday, 26 February) the Australian trainer stood alone as Soleil Fighter carried off with the Class 3 Tsui Man Handicap (1650m) under Ryan Moore.

Heading into the evening on an unmatched 50 points, Soleil Fighter clung on as the market’s dominant 1.4 favourite in the third race thanks to Moore’s urgings, sealing a HK$1 million bonus for connections and the 2024/25 series victory with 65 points.