John Size

Trainer Danny Shum will welcome G1 Irish Derby second Serious Contender to his stable once the Hong Kong season begins. Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, the son of Wootton Bassett has two wins on his ledger and was also second in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in June. Other horses bound for Hong Kong include Boniface Ho Ka Kui's Listed Burradon Stakes winner and G3 Hampton Court Stakes third Glittering Legend (Too Darn Hot) from the yard of James Fanshawe, former Ralph Beckett...

The G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) sees G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) heroine Embroidery (Admire Mars) face 17 rivals in her quest to nab the second jewel of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Tiara. A winner of the G3 Queen Cup over 1600 metres in February, the Silk Racing colourbearer will be testing the waters beyond 1800 metres for the first time in her young career. Tied in the lead-up betting markets with Oka Sho third Lynx Tip (Kitasan Black), Embroidery was only a neck in front of the re-opposing...

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...

G3 Chester Vase runner-up Agenda (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Irish Derby fifth Keeper's Heart (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) have been sold to continue their racing careers in Hong Kong, it was reported by Hong Kong Racing (@HongKong_Racing) on X on Thursday. Last seen finishing seventh in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, Agenda is reportedly set to join the stable of David Hall. He follows several other horses formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien who have been recruited to the Hong Kong ranks this summer, with the others...

If Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is to add Sunday's HK$26-million (£2.63 million/US$3.33 million) BMW Hong Kong Derby to his victories in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup, he will have to do so from gate 13 in a field of 14 4-year-olds in the 2000-metre domestic centrepiece Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse. The 102-rater is one of three in the race for four-time Derby-winning conditioner John Size, who will also send out Classic Cup third Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) with Ryan Moore from barrier 12...

Sent away as the $16.50 (65-100) jolly to add Sunday's HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Cup to last month's Hong Kong Classic Mile, top-rated Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) managed to work his way out of a jackpot with 200 metres to travel and flashed home to touch off an extremely game Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) by a short head Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse. He can join the likes of the late Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as Triple Crown winners should he...

Trainer John Size has won the Hong Kong Classic Cup, the second leg of the 4-year-old Triple Crown, no fewer than four times and he'll saddle two of the top fancies as he looks for his first victory in the race since Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in 2011 Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse. Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is the lone member of the 14-strong field rated in triple figures (102), has won six of his eight lifetime starts and three of his last four. Drawn neatly in...

Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) was crunched into $1.30 (3-10) favourtism for Sunday's HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Mile, sat a perfect trip beneath Hugh Bowman and raced away late to take the first leg of the 4-year-old series in convincing fashion Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin. Alertly away from barrier six and carrying the number one saddlecloth signifying the highest-rated runner in the event, the John Size trainee allowed Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) and Helene Feeling (Ire) (Sioux Nation) do the heavy lifting and settled in the ideal spot while...

One of the best trainers in Hong Kong history, John Size is a three-time winner of the Hong Kong Classic Mile, a 1600-metre event that serves as the first of the three legs of the Classics series restricted to 4-year-olds from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The 12-times champion conditioner, who is approaching 1500 career victories, has two bonafide chances to add a fourth Classic Mile Sunday in the form of Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) and Howdeepisyourlove (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}). Helios Express is the lone member of...

Death, taxes and Hong Kong winners by Deep Field (Aus). Of life's surest eventualities, the latter is definitely worthy of inclusion, and Voyage Bubble (Aus) will look to add to the stallion's impressive local record when he goes in search of a maiden Group 1 success in the G1 Stewards' Cup Sunday at Sha Tin. The chances of Voyage Bubble--and those of his seven rivals--have been done no damage by the absence of G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile hero Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), who is on the mend and...

Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who ran sixth in the G1 Derby in the UK earlier this year, sustained a tendon injury to his right foreleg last week and is uncertain to make the Hong Kong Derby in March, trainer John Size told the South China Morning Post. Bred by Shane Molan, the Siu Pak-Kwan runner won the G3 Hampton Court S. after his Derby effort, leading former trainer Ed Walker to describe him as the "perfect horse for the Hong Kong Derby". "I don't have a plan now because he's...

During a season that saw him become the richest-ever horse and most prolific winner of Group 1 races in Hong Kong history, Stanley Chan Ka Leung's Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was named Horse of the Year in the jurisdiction for an unprecedented third straight season during a black-tie affair held Friday evening at the Grand Ballroom of the Rosewood Hotel. The son of Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor) won four of his five trips to the post during a well-managed 7-year-old campaign, his only loss coming at the hooves of the...