Poon in dreamland after Group 1 call-up
Matthew Poon will ride Klondike in next week's G1 Doomben Cup in Australia. (File photo)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
The Hong Kong Racing Postscript: who's hot, who's not and the best of May
Zac Purton, Ellis Wong and David Hayes were on fire, while David Hall finally ended a frustrating winless streak Racing fans were treated to a historic victory in Hong Kong's final Group One of the season, while the race for the trainers' championship heated up in May. The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who's hot? Zac Purton continued to rack up winners in May, booting home 13 winners from just 61 rides for a strike rate of 21.3 per cent – an almost identical figure to his haul from April. The seven-time champion Hong Kong jockey was the most successful rider of the month ahead of Hugh Bowman, who bagged eight wins, while apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang deserves praise for his best month of the term. Wong boosted his seasonal tally to 15 winners with five in May – four of which started at $7.6 or longer. The 24-year-old had just 39 rides, giving him a healthy winning strike rate of 12.82 per cent. David Hayes gave John Size something to think about when he cut the fellow Australian's double-figure lead in the trainers' championship to as little as four winners with a strong return in May. Hayes recorded nine winners – just one ahead of Manfred Man Ka-leung, whose haul came from just 49 runners, giving him a winning strike rate of 16.33 per cent. Size - who leads the title race by seven winners - and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai were the next best handlers with seven wins apiece in May. Who's not? Karis Teetan once again battled in May, scoring just one win from 52 rides to slide to seventh in the jockeys' championship. Four riders towards the bottom of the title standings failed to register a winner in May – Keagan de Melo, Ben Thompson, Antoine Hamelin and Dylan Mo Hin-tung. From a trainer's perspective, David Hall managed just one victory but ended the month on a positive note, with Invincible Sage narrowly beaten in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) before Ka Ying Attack broke the handler's winless streak of 60 runners on Saturday. Me Tsui Yu-sak also had just one winner, while Pierre Ng Pang-chi and Danny Shum Chap-shing each prepared two in May. Win of the month Voyage Bubble's historic success in the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) was undoubtedly the highlight of the month, with Yiu's stable star becoming the first galloper in 31 years to claim Hong Kong's Triple Crown. UNBELIEVABLE! 🤯 31 years since River Verdon won the #TripleCrown for the first time, Hong Kong has a second winner of the series in Voyage Bubble, who makes light work of his Champions & Chater Cup rivals... 🏆🏆🏆@WorldPool | @mcacajamez | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 25, 2025 Voyage Bubble made light work of a distance query when he charged from midfield to easily round up his rivals, scoring by three and a half lengths under James McDonald. River Verdon was the only previous winner of the Triple Crown, which also features the Group One Stewards' Cup (1,600m) and Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), back in 1993-94. Ride of the month Purton produced a tactical masterclass aboard Shamus Storm to help the promising three-year-old break through for his first triumph at start five. Settled back in the field after his usual tardy start, Shamus Storm was edged off the inside by Purton approaching the 600m to start his run. Purton's genius really came to the fore when he hooked Shamus Storm off the heels of main danger Max Que around the turn, holding the heavily-backed $2.8 second favourite in and preventing him from building momentum at a crucial stage. Shamus Storm let down strongly to power to the lead at the 200m and put the result beyond doubt, with Max Que running on once in the clear for second. Purton was also at his brilliant best on Light Years Charm, while a pair of victorious dirt rides were worth honourable mentions – Wong's on Solid Shalaa and Lyle Hewitson's on Talents Ambition.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Ryan Moore shines on Camille Pissarro in French Derby as Croix du Nord confirms star status
Ryan Moore showed his class once again as Camille Pissarro got the gaps in the nick of time to win the Group One Prix Du Jockey Club (2,000m) at Chantilly on Sunday. The $3.4 favourite was always prominent in the box seat under Moore but as the field began to sprint in the home straight, he was stuck behind a wall of horses. Camille Pissarro was forced to sit and suffer, but Moore kept the revs up on the Wootton Bassett galloper and when Bowmark began to weaken on the rail, the 41-year-old needed no second invitation. The pair quickened up smartly into the lead between horses at the 200m pole and gained a winning break, fending off late challenges from Andre Fabre's Cualificar and the John and Thady Gosden-trained Detain in the final strides. Camille Pissarro wins the 2025 Prix du Jockey Club! 🏆🇫🇷 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 1, 2025 Christophe Soumillon, who rode third-placed Detain, won on Camille Pissarro in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1,800m) last season and Moore – perhaps tongue-in-cheek – gave the French star credit after Sunday's success. 'The race went very smoothly. I had a good draw [barrier one], the pace wasn't crazy, but the horse was very relaxed,' said Moore. 'When I asked him, he responded well. Christophe Soumillon taught me how to ride him!' And trainer O'Brien followed suit, with the French Derby distance seemingly a masterstroke by Soumillon. 'After the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains, when Christophe Soumillon got off the horse, he immediately told us to run him in the Jockey Club,' said O'Brien. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Aidan O'Brien was once again formidable on the big stage. 'He's a miler … but he stays 2,000m, and that's exactly what you need to win the French Derby. He's a colt we've always really liked.' Meanwhile, Croix du Nord bounced back from defeat in the Group One Satsuki Sho (2,000m) and confirmed his lofty reputation with a sparkling performance to win the Group One Tokyo Yushun (2,400m). Ho O Atman made sure the Japanese Derby was a test, zipping out to a 10-length lead, with Yuichi Kitamura stalking the pace in the main group on $2.4 favourite Croix du Nord. As the field turned in, Kitamura made his move and when he asked the Japan Racing Association's Best Two-Year-Old Colt for 2024 for maximum effort, he responded by charging to the lead at the 300m. Both Masquerade Ball and Shohei finished fast, but neither were ever going quick enough to land a glove on the next Japanese superstar, with Kitamura heaping praise on his partner. 'I felt it was my responsibility to make Croix du Nord a Derby winner ever since the colt won the Hopeful Stakes, so my feeling now is that I am relieved to have accomplished by mission,' said Kitamura. 'The colt felt great today and I was able to come into the race with every confidence, so victory itself came as no surprise to me. 'The break was smooth and after that, I was concentrating on keeping him in a comfortable rhythm more so than what position he was sitting in. In the stretch run, he responded really well and as I've said, I had every confidence in the colt and drove him on believing that he would make it to the wire a winner.'
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Helios Express digs deep to nail Invincible Sage in pulsating Sha Tin Vase finish
Helios Express (outside) rockets home to beat Invincible Sage in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase. Photos: Kenneth Chan After seven straight placings behind Ka Ying Rising, John Size's sprinter breaks through with narrow Group Three success Snapping a streak of seven consecutive placings behind Ka Ying Rising, Helios Express dug deep to chase down Invincible Sage for a heart-stopping victory in Saturday's Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). Sent off the $2.05 favourite in his bid for a breakthrough success, the John Size-trained gelding launched a withering burst from last to deny $20 shot Invincible Sage in a bob of the heads on the finishing post. Hugh Bowman took Helios Express back from the outside draw in the field of 11 and was still at the tail at the 200m, as Ben Thompson made his move on Invincible Sage from midfield to shoot to the lead. Helios Express arrived just in time for a deserved win after five seconds and two thirds behind the world's best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, who was absent from Saturday's feature. Helios Express charges from the rear to overhaul Invincible Sage in the G3 Sha Tin Vase! 🏆 @HugeBowman #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 31, 2025 'Only just,' Bowman said of the short-head margin. 'I've had a lot to do with the second horse, Invincible Sage, and they both got the soft track conditions which suited both horses and you've seen them both run to their premium. 'My horse had to overcome the [on-speed] bias. I knew that going out but I was reluctant to change [Helios Express'] pattern because with the handicap, I thought he was well in with the 123lb. 'He thoroughly deserved it. He's been chasing the champ all season and with his absence, he was the number one seed and he came out in front.' A brilliant winner of last year's Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m), Helios Express delivered Size his second Sha Tin Vase triumph following the handler's success with Courier Wonder in 2021. Switched to sprinting after his four-year-old campaign, the son of Toronado was runner-up to Ka Ying Rising in Group One features the Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). 'He certainly deserves this win. He's tried very hard all season to win a decent race and finally he got it done. He found a race that was suitable for him,' Size said. Patch Of Theta, who was brown-lamped late in betting from $9.1 to $3.7, ran on strongly from second last to grab third, almost two lengths behind Helios Express. Multiple Group One winner Lucky Sweynesse ran fourth under top weight of 135lb. Size said Helios Express might not be done for the season, with a crack at the Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) on June 22 a possibility. 'I'll see what he's like at home. After his last start [when third in the Chairman's Sprint Prize], he showed me he really wasn't looking for a break so we'll see how he pulls up after this race,' Size said. After also winning Saturday's Class Three Tai Wai Handicap (1,200m) with Masterofmyuniverse, Size gained a bit of breathing room in his battle with David Hayes for the trainers' championship. With 60 wins, Size extended his lead to seven over Hayes, who struck in the Class Five Shing Mun River Channel Handicap (1,400m) with Lucky Man courtesy of a gun ride by Bowman. Trainer David Hall bounced back from Invincible Sage's narrow defeat to claim the following race with Ka Ying Attack, ending his long winning drought at 60. Mark Newnham and Lyle Hewitson also snared doubles, teaming up to win Saturday's two dirt races with New Forest and Talents Ambition, while Luke Ferraris chimed in with a brace of his own aboard Dazzling Fit and Tourbillon Prince.
