Sha Tin

Friday, Curragh, post time: 18:55, HEIDER FAMILY STABLES GALLINULE STAKES-G3, €36,000, 3yo, 10fT Field: Emit (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Reyenzi (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Thrice (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Tiberius Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Dawn Spirit (Ire) (Australia {GB}). TDN Verdict: Aidan O'Brien runs last year's G3 Zetland Stakes runner-up Shackleton in the latest Derby trial he bids to annex during a stellar period for the stable, but there is a strong case to be made for Reyenzi following his impressive five-length Navan...

King Dance (Nyquist--Do the Dance, by Discreet Cat), a 3-year-old half-brother to last week's GIII Pimlico Special Stakes winner Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke) who cost $200,000 at Keeneland September in 2023, makes his career debut in a 1200-meter 'griffin' race at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday afternoon. King Dance is owned by Peter Chu and is trained by Francis Lui, best known as the conditioner of three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), and who has had other success with American-bred gallopers, such as Hong Kong...

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...

No G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner has ever won the G1 FWD QEII Cup over 2000 metres at Sha Tin, but on Sunday, Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) will attempt to become the first. And with the absence of three-time QEII Cup hero Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), there is no better time to try. Co-owned by Resolute Racing's John Stewart, the likeable Goliath was a 2 1/4-length victor over subsequent G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) at Ascot in July. Given...

Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), the fourth highest-rated horse in the world in 2024, will spearhead the European challenge on FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday, April 27, with a record HK$74 million (£7.4m) on offer across three Group 1 races. Goliath will add a fourth jurisdiction to his record as Resolute Racing's globetrotter lines up in the HK$28 million (£2.8m) G1 FWD QEII Cup. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the five-year-old made the breakthrough at the top level when winning last year's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes...

By Kit Gow/TTR AusNZ Arrowfield Stud's Snitzel (Aus) continued his stellar weekend on Sunday with the exploits of four-year-old Cap Ferrat (Aus) in the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin. Trained by last season's Hong Kong champion trainer Francis Liu, the gelding was breaking his maiden in the event, after several near misses in stakes company in Australia. Jockey Craig Williams, fresh from winning the G3 Don Casboult Classic with Clean Energy (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) on Saturday, flew out for the meet and guided Cap Ferrat to victory...

A total of 28 Group/Grade 1 winners have been entered for the HK$74-million FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Apr. 27 which features a trio of Group 1 races. There are 95 horses vying for starts in the 2000-metre HK$28-million G1 FWD QEII Cup, 1600-metre HK$24-million G1 FWD Champions Mile and 1200-metre HK$22-million G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize. The local defense is anchored by Sprint Prize entrant Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and miler Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), as well as the winners of the 2024 Mile...

Justifying (Aus) (Justify) became his dual-hemisphere stallion's third Hong Kong winner with a dazzling debut display down the 1000-meter straight course in Sunday's opening race at Sha Tin Racecourse. An A$100,000 graduate of the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, the bay was led out unsold for the same amount at that year's Inglis Ready2Race [Breeze-Up] Sale and was turned over to trainer Vincent Nolan for his initial racetrack prep. The late October foal put his talents on full display when landing a soft-ground jumpout by five lengths at Benalla north...

Dual Hong Kong champion trainer David Hayes immediately set his sights on the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby in three weeks' time with Rubylot (Aus), following a stellar performance from the son of Rubick (Aus) to win Sunday's HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin. Settled at the rear of the field with only one behind through the early stages, Rubylot and Brenton Avdulla tracked Mickley (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}) into the straight, before angling into the clear and accelerating powerfully with a race-best 22.30-second sectional for the final...

Two-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer David Hayes has been enjoying a strong season with his runners, and on the back of a trio of Group 1 victories courtesy of Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), is aiming to add the HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Cup over 1800 metres with either Rubylot (Aus) (Rubick {Aus}) or Hong Kong debuter and G1 South African Derby-placed Mondial (SAf) (Flower Alley). The former is the most experience runner in the field with 17 Hong Kong starts, good for five wins. Already a winner over...