FWD Champions Day

After vowing earlier this week that Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) would not be chasing any more track records in defence of his title in the HK$24-million G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize, jockey Zac Purton will be only too happy to have been proven wrong. That's because the 5-year-old wunder-sprinter made the 1200-metre contest his 20th straight success, lowering his own mark by 0.02 and sweeping the Hong Kong Sprint Series for the second straight season. It has been just short of 500 days since Ka Ying Rising was last defeated in...

Trainer Mark Newnham celebrated a Group 1 breakthrough in Hong Kong on Sunday as stable star My Wish (Flying Artie) ran out a determined winner of the HK$24-million FWD Champions Mile. Breaking from stall 10, My Wish eased to the tail of the field as Copartner Prance (Epaulette) dictated the early gallop ahead of defending champion Red Lion (Belardo). Turning for home, fan favourite Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) made his move in search of a seventh career victory at the top level, while jockey Hugh Bowman angled My Wish into...

Despite facing what trainer Danny Shum described as the strongest field to go to post for the G1 FWD QEII Cup "for 15 or 20 years", it was a case of business as usual at Sha Tin on Sunday as Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) saw off a formidable international challenge to register a record-extending fourth success in the HK$30-million showpiece on FWD Champions Day. Racing in a clear fourth as last month's Hong Kong Derby second Numbers (Tivaci) led the eight-strong field to the home turn, the strong-travelling Romantic Warrior soon...

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, post time: 14:35, CHAIRMAN'S SPRINT PRIZE-G1, HK$24,000,000, 3yo/up, 1200mT Field: Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), Satono Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}), Raging Blizzard (NZ) (Per Incanto), Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Tomodachi Kokoroe (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}), Beauty Waves (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). TDN Analysis: One of the headliners of FWD Champions Day, Ka Ying Rising is gunning for his 20th consecutive win by a Hong Kong-trained horse. The reigning Hong Kong Horse of...

You'd have to say the Ka Ying Rising camp is feeling fairly confident, if the reports coming out of Sha Tin are anything to go by two days out from FWD Champions Day. A winner of 19 straight starts, a record for a Hong Kong-trained horse, the son of Shamexpress is coming into the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize with everything in his favour. Not only is the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year aiming for a title defence in Sunday's 1200-metre contest, but connections feel he can get the...

Christophe Lemaire is counting down the days until Sunday's HK$30-million G1 FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin, with the French-born jockey expressing his belief that his mount in the race, Masquerade Ball (Duramente), has "the potential to be one of the greats in Japanese racing". Lemaire, who has partnered top-class performers such as Almond Eye and Equinox during his time riding in the Far East, retains the utmost faith in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) winner as he returns to action for the first time since being narrowly beaten by...

Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) is one of the headline acts for FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 26. A total of HK78 million (€8,522,110) is on offer across the three Group 1 races--the FWD QEII Cup (2000m), FWD Champions Mile and the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m). Overall, there are 38 entries for the three races (excluding reserves), 13 of them winners at the highest table. A winner of the Chairman's Sprint Prize in 2025, the gelding is aiming for his second win...

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior tuned up for a start in April's G1 FWD QEII Cup on Thursday. The Danny Shum trainee impressed in a 1200-metre barrier trial on the dirt at Sha Tin. Already a winner of the QEII Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024, he ran out a one-length victor over Red Lion (Belardo) in 1:10.70 with Hugh Bowman in the irons. Shum said, "I'm very happy; he's sound and he's happy. You can see by his trial, he's very good, and James [McDonald]...

Sunday's G1 FWD QEII Cup featured a Japanese winner in 2023 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) hero Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), but that joy quickly turned to heartbreak, as Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown heroine Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) succumbed to injuries sustained during the running of the 2000-metre event. Second favourite in the betting at 11-4, the 5-year-old entire was forwardly placed and soon perched three wide into the first turn while New Zealand multiple Group 1 winner El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking {Aus}) enjoyed an uncontested lead. They...

Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) has hit the crossbars in group company plenty of times in Hong Kong, and the John Size trainee broke his black-type duck in fighting fashion, taking the G1 FWD Champions Mile by a short head over multiple Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}). Sent off at 89-1, the Ronald and Johanna Arculli silksbearer jumped straight to the head of affairs, covering the first quarter mile in :24.50 while pressed by Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Voyage Bubble stalked from third. After...

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) further cemented his status as the world's best sprinter with a 2 1/4-length victory in the 1200-metre G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on Sunday. Sent off the heavy 1-20 crowd's pick, the bay gelding duly made it a dozen wins in a row with the closing Satono Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) a neck ahead of third-place finisher Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), who also rallied from the rear of the field. In touch with the leaders in a tracking fifth through...

Hong Kong's Champions Day at Sha Tin was overshadowed by tragedy with the death of Japan's Triple Tiara winner of 2023, Liberty Island (Jpn). The five-year-old daughter of Duramente (Jpn) went amiss after some scrimmaging in the home straight during the G1 FWD QEII Cup, which was won by her compatriot and fellow Classic winner Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}). Trained by Mitsu Nakauchida for Sunday Racing, Liberty Island followed up her Fillies' Triple Crown success by finishing second to Equinox (Jpn) in the G1 Japan Cup, which was rated...