Golden Sixty will bypass the 2024 G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin on 21 January after the champion miler presented with a minor leg issue on Wednesday (27 December).
Healthy Happy (117lb) will chase redemption in the 2024 HK$4.2 million G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) for jockey Alexis Badel and trainer Frankie Lor.
Bidding to increase his lead in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship, Zac Purton hopes to build on a flourishing partnership with Francis Lui when the pair links up with Silver Sonic in the Class 3 Pak Tam Au Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley on Friday night (29 December).
The HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 24 March shapes a potential target for Fallon after Tony Cruz’s young stayer showcased Four-Year-Old Classic Series potential with a spectacular win in the Class 4 Tin Wan Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on Tuesday (26 December).
Chancheng Glory (132lb) has found his groove and trainer Francis Lui hopes the American-bred gelding can lift his game again in Tuesday’s (26 November) Class 3 Pak Tin Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin.
Keen to convert quality opportunities into more wins after a frustrating recent run, Vincent Ho hopes hopeful Joyful Hunter and The Heir can add further lustre to an unforgettable December at Sha Tin on Saturday (23 December).
Trainer Danny Shum will give Romantic Warrior a short break with a view to returning in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 25 February, 2024 at Sha Tin, opting against a potential rematch with Golden Sixty in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on 21 January.
David Hall will thrust Invincible Sage into Group company next year after the talented young sprinter downed older opposition to claim the Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (17 December) as Zac Purton dominated with a quartet.
Extending an extraordinary start to the season, Pierre Ng maintained his lead in the Hong Kong trainers’ championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (13 December) when the second-season trainer struck with a winner for the 12th consecutive meeting.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has praised the 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) as “one of the best days of racing” Hong Kong has hosted.
At the age of 37, Hiroyasu Tanaka is no stranger to breaking records as a trainer. The ex-jockey received his JRA training license in 2017, then becoming the youngest person ever to pass the licensing exam. In May 2022, he achieved another milestone by becoming the youngest trainer to reach 100 JRA wins since 1989.
After training the runner up in 2022, Andre Fabre has claimed the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin with Junko delivering a last to first victory.
Faced with the honour of training potentially Singapore’s last champion and international runner, Dan Meagher isn’t under-estimating the challenge for Lim’s Kosciuszko in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (10 December).
Plotting a third BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) conquest, Caspar Fownes will unveil Classics contender Awesome Fluke in the Class 3 Salisbury Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (3 December).
With Luxembourg fronting a squad which is represented in each one of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), it is unlikely that Aidan O’Brien will have ever arrived at the meeting with such strength in depth.
