The day’s closer at Sha Tin on Sunday, the Class 2 Albert Handicap (1400m), shapes as a fascinating race with a number of horses aiming to step up to the next level.

Caspar Fownes is no stranger to using the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) as a pathway to LONGINES Hong Kong International Races glory and the trainer holds high hopes that Southern Legend can stamp himself as a December candidate with a positive effort in Sunday’s feature.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club held barrier trials at the Conghua Training Centre (CTC) for the first time on Thursday. All three barrier trials were run over 1200m on the large all-weather track.

It has been a bumper first few months of 2018 for John Size, with a 10th Hong Kong trainers’ championship locked in the bag, a slew of big-race victories and the prestigious honour of being inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Chad Schofield will represent Hong Kong at the World All-Star Jockeys competition at Sapporo Racecourse in Japan this weekend (25 and 26 August) with a view to joining three Hong Kong greats on the honour roll.

Dr. Simon Ip, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, presented trophies to the winning connections of two feature races held at Deauville Racecourse in France, on Wednesday. 

There are 18 days left on the countdown to the start of Hong Kong’s 2018/19 racing season and Chris So is busily preparing for what he hopes will be a bolting break from the blocks for his 66-horse string.