Latest news with #HKJC
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Sunlight Power ready to parlay ‘storming run' into maiden Group success
Sunlight Power (left) runs third in last month's Group One Champions Mile. Photo: Kenneth Chan He's coming off the best run of his career but Ricky Yiu Poon-fai remains confident Sunlight Power has even more to give in Saturday's Group Three Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) at Sha Tin. A half-length third behind Red Lion in last month's Group One Champions Mile, with superstar Voyage Bubble splitting the pair, Sunlight Power looks as well placed as anything in this Saturday's mile feature. There is obviously no Voyage Bubble to contend with this weekend after he put a full stop on his season with an emphatic victory in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) last Sunday, while the return to handicap conditions suits Sunlight Power down to the ground. He gets 11lbs from Red Lion compared to their Champions Mile meeting at level weights, while he is also better placed against the four other local gallopers he beat home in the Champions Mile and will meet again on Saturday – Happy Together, Beauty Joy, Chancheng Glory and Beauty Eternal. RED LION ROARS! 🦁 It's an 89/1 shocker in the FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin for @HugeBowman and John Size as Red Lion lands his first Group 1 over Voyage Bubble... #FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025 'That was a storming run,' Yiu said of Sunlight Power's third in his first Group One appearance. 'It was very encouraging last start to finish third in a Group One. He's only lightly raced so of course he should still be improving. He's not old but he's getting more experienced these days.' Five-year-old Sunlight Power has been up to Conghua since the Champions Mile, with his stay including a solid trial fourth behind Mugen over 1,200m on turf. 'This horse has done well, he loves Conghua very much and he's had a good break in between runs. This Group Three looks ideal for him,' said Yiu of Sunlight Power, who has won six of his 24 starts. 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. Class act! Sunlight Power wears down Voyage Samurai in the Kowloon Tong Club Trophy as @HugeBowman makes it a hat-trick at Sha Tin... 🔥#LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 15, 2025 Divano, Encountered, Johannes Brahms, Ka Ying Generation and Pray For Mir round out Sunlight Power's opponents in a contest in which he will carry 124lbs. While it was Christophe Soumillon doing the steering in the Champions Mile and Jerry Chau Chun-lok was aboard for the Group Two lead-up race in late March, it is Harry Bentley who will reunite with Sunlight Power this weekend. Bentley will look to improve his record of two wins and two seconds from five starts aboard Sunlight Power, with the British jockey tasked with negotiating barrier seven in the 11-horse field. Beauty Joy and Beauty Eternal are chasing their second successes in the Lion Rock Trophy, while Lucky Sweynesse is looking to back up his 2023 triumph in the afternoon's other feature, the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). Winning machine! Lucky Sweynesse equals Beauty Generation's record eight wins in a single season, taking the G3 Sha Tin Vase with ease... @zpurton the man in the saddle for both! 👑 #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 4, 2023 Sixth in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) in his first run back from a lengthy injury-induced absence, Lucky Sweynesse must lump top weight of 135lbs and will be ridden by Derek Leung Ka-chun for the first time. 'Slowly, he has been getting better and better. He's not young any more. After one year off, he's had one run and after that run he's shown improvement,' said Leung, who replaces James McDonald in the saddle. 'When I galloped him, he's very smart – he knows what to do. After the winning post, he just switched off by himself. He's very consistent.'
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Genius' Voyage Bubble bags Triple Crown with remarkable Champions & Chater Cup success
Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's dreams came true at Sha Tin on Sunday as Voyage Bubble snared the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) and became just the second winner of Hong Kong's illustrious Triple Crown. It was a sparkling performance from the now five-time top-level scorer, who always travelled ominously well in midfield under James McDonald. The race began in earnest when Zac Purton made a back-straight move on Ensued, which saw him range up alongside Dubai Honour and long-time leader Moments In Time and force the pace forward. Off the turn, it was Dubai Honour and Ensued who went on, but the eye was always drawn to Voyage Bubble, who surged to the front doing cartwheels at the 300m pole and drew off to win by as far as he pleased ahead of Rubylot, who charged into second late on. 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 Trainer Yiu was on cloud nine after his superstar became only the second winner of the Triple Crown, with Voyage Bubble bagging the HK$10 million bonus 31 years after River Verdon's historic first. 'Dreams came true – since I won the first two legs of the Triple Crown I started dreaming. Now today, dreams have come true. It's amazing,' said Yiu about a horse who has long been close to his heart. 'I was so worried that I couldn't buy him. I didn't have enough money to buy him and couldn't afford him. I rang up Hong Kong to get a better budget as I didn't want to lose him – it was love at first sight. 'The closer I looked at the race today, the closer I thought he would have a winning chance – he's done so well and his preparation was so good. 'I didn't want to tie [James McDonald] up with any riding instructions – he could just press the button and go.' The memories of Voyage Bubble's $1.6 defeat in the Group One Champions Mile (1,600m) are long in the wing mirrors, with the extra distance looking crucial to him now. For Yiu, his future looks to be beyond the mile, which could see him clash with Romantic Warrior in a mouth-watering rematch. 'He's pure athletic, if you look at him you can tell he's a high-class racehorse,' said Yiu. 'He's performed from a sprint to the maximum distance in Hong Kong – he's a genius. 'When we first ran him over 1,200m and 1,400m it was like a game for him. This is a real task. The 2,000m or even more seems to be an easier task for him. He won by a big margin over those trips – with a mile it's slightly competitive for him.' It was not just Yiu who was left in dreamland, with jockey McDonald also feeling spellbound by his superstar partner. 'I'm so lucky to be riding him and he's just a brilliant racehorse. He just does everything you ask of him and he's so willing. He was on song today and I just felt very lucky to be riding him. He's just such a star,' said McDonald. 'I couldn't have dreamed of it panning out as well as that – that's once in a blue moon. The stars aligned and with that sort of run, he was always going to be hard to beat. He was going to be hard to beat even without such a good run, but it all worked out. 'He just switches off and allows himself to get the distance so well and I just want to pay credit to the Yiu stable – they've done a remarkable job with this horse. 'It's a great training effort – a mile to 2,400m. They're absolutely incredible. They've got a champion racehorse on their hands and he deserves all the accolades he gets. It's awesome. I'm very proud of him.'
RTHK
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTHK
Array of events to mark Year of the Horse: HKJC CEO
Array of events to mark Year of the Horse: HKJC CEO The Hong Kong Jockey Club wants to further boost its entertainment capability to draw tourists. File photo: RTHK The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) said it is looking to further up the international ante by not only consolidating its world-class racing status, but also boosting its entertainment capacity to make Hong Kong one of Asia's most vibrant destinations. He added that an exciting lineup of events are in the pipeline to mark the Year of the Horse next year. Earlier this month, the HKJC announced a massive partnership initiative with entertainment brand XIX Entertainment. Its founder, Simon Fuller, is the man behind pop group Spice Girls, and popular show American Idol. The Jockey Club's Chief Executive Officer, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, told RTHK's Backchat programme on Thursday that the move is essential in helping the Club boost its entertainment capability. "We think we're perfect when it comes to horse-racing and sport, but when you venture into the entertainment field, you have to have a partner who has the same global expertise and vision we have, and this is Simon Fuller, when you look at his CV and XIX Entertainment," he said. "And he [Simon Fuller] loves Hong Kong - he's one of the biggest advocates of Hong Kong." Engelbrecht-Bresges said the HKJC is looking to strengthen its status as an internationally-recognised sports and entertainment body by, for example, partnering with other global horse racing brands like Royal Ascot and Breeders Cup. "We see next year's unique opportunity with the Year of the Horse... and we want to use this as a real platform for a global brand campaign - how we position Hong Kong, how we create more entertainment-based sport events in Hong Kong around horse racing and equestrian,' he added.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Ricky Yiu adamant Voyage Bubble ‘can absolutely handle' trip test in Champions & Chater Cup
Voyage Bubble leaves his rivals in his wake in the Gold Cup. Photos: Kenneth Chan Ricky Yiu Poon-fai has unwavering faith in Voyage Bubble's ability to answer a significant distance query as the trainer's stable star bids for a historic win in Sunday's Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin. Striving to become just the second galloper to claim Hong Kong's Triple Crown, the four-time Group One winner will be tested beyond 2,000m for the first time in what shapes as mouth-watering clash with British raider Dubai Honour. However, Yiu believes a major change in Voyage Bubble this season will hold the six-year-old in good stead in the city's final Group One of the season. 'The closer to the race and the more I look at this horse, I think he can absolutely handle the trip,' Yiu said of Voyage Bubble, who comes off a close second to Red Lion in the Group One Champions Mile. 'Compared to last year or when he won the Derby over 2,000m, he's so relaxed now. Voyage Bubble tuned up for his @StanChart Champions & Chater Cup test with a barrier trial this morning as he aims to become Hong Kong's second #TripleCrown winner EVER! 🏆 📍 Sha Tin, 25 May | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 16, 2025 'We're only talking about 400m more in a small field with a jockey who knows him well. He's going really well. He'll be a really good chance.' Voyage Bubble will aim to cap a stellar campaign featuring elite-level victories in the Hong Kong Mile and the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Stewards' Cup (1,600m) and Gold Cup (2,000m). The Deep Field gelding's more relaxed nature was on display in the Gold Cup when he was shuffled back in the field before the turn and overcame traffic early in the straight to score an explosive triumph. 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. River Verdon is the only galloper to achieve Triple Crown glory, claiming all three legs in the 1993-94 season. Standing in Voyage Bubble's way is Dubai Honour, who boasts a proven record at the Champions & Chater Cup trip with Group One victories in France and Australia and a second to Giavellotto in December's Group One Hong Kong Vase. Jockey James McDonald and trainer Ricky Yiu (second from right) after Voyage Bubble's Gold Cup victory. Yiu has plenty of respect for the William Haggas-trained gelding, who comes off a sound second to star Australian mare Via Sistina in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) at Randwick. 'He's the main danger. He even did well when he was here last December. Hopefully we can beat him,' Yiu said. Yiu will also put his faith in superstar Kiwi jockey James McDonald, who has guided Voyage Bubble to half of his 10 career wins. The son of Deep Field has drawn barrier three in the field of 10, which looks to be bereft of speed after likely pace influences Sword Point and Noisy Boy were withdrawn before final declarations. 'I'll leave it to the jockey – he can read if they're going quick or going slow,' Yiu said. Voyage Bubble (centre) finishes a close second to Red Lion (inside) in the Champions Mile. Tom Marquand again rides Dubai Honour, who has drawn the inside gate. Craig Williams is the other visiting rider chasing Group One glory in the Champions & Chater Cup, with the star Australian continuing his association with Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero Cap Ferrat. The Snitzel gelding followed his Derby success with a solid fifth to Tastiera in last month's Group One QE II Cup (2,000m). He ran sixth in his only attempt at 2,400m in the Group One Australian Derby at Randwick pre-import. 'I think he can handle it,' trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai said. 'His last run was all right. From barrier eight, he had to be used up a little bit more to get a good position.' Lui's team engaged for Sunday's 11-race meeting also includes classy four-year-old Packing Hermod in the Class Two River Verdon Handicap (1,400m). 'He will run in this race and then the Group Three [Sha Tin Vase over 1,400m] next month. He's improved,' Lui said of his five-time winner.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
David Hayes hopes for a Champions & Chater upset with Rubylot against ‘horse to beat' Dubai Honour
Trainer praying for some rain to help his Classic Cup (1,800m) winner measure up at the elite level Dubai Honour is the 'horse to beat' in Sunday's Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) but David Hayes is relishing the chance to try and cause an upset with Classic Cup (1,800m) winner Rubylot. Rubylot ran sixth in the first leg of the Classic Series, the Classic Mile, before defying $14 odds to come from nearly last to first to mow down My Wish and win the Classic Cup. The four-year-old ran another stormer when finishing strongly into fifth in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) and was last seen finishing an unlucky sixth in the Group One FWD QE II Cup (2,000m) on Champions Day. Rubylot was shuffled to the back of the field after an inside trip and his rider Hugh Bowman had to take the daring route between horses, copping a sizeable bump before lashing home. Rubylot mows them down in the Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin! My Wish is brave in defeat as @brentonavdulla and David Hayes combine for victory... 🏆#4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 2, 2025 Hayes reports Rubylot is in flying form in the mornings as he prepares to watch the Rubick galloper have his final piece of work. 'We're up at Conghua for his final piece of work on Tuesday before Sunday's big day,' said Hayes. 'He's working like a horse that's really peaking and not going off. 'He's by Rubick so some people would say he wouldn't run a mile and a half, but if you look at the dam's side, it's a very dour European type. 'With luck, I think he could have easily placed in the QE II Cup and that's the elite level. Hugh [Bowman] is very confident he can run a placing and be competitive with the locals.' The race has been billed as a clash between the Triple Crown-seeking Voyage Bubble and top-class foreign raider Dubai Honour, with the rest of the runners making up a supporting cast. Voyage Bubble will bid to become just the second Hong Kong Triple Crown winner on Sunday after wins in the Group One Stewards' Cup (1,600m) and the Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m), but like a vast majority of the locals he has stamina to prove on his first try at the trip. No such reservations are held for William Haggas' Dubai Honour, who is a two-time Group One winner at the 2,400m distance, most recently when flashing home to collect the Group One Tancred Stakes at Rosehill (2,400m). He is proven at Sha Tin by virtue of his narrow second in the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) back in December and Hayes is under no illusions about who is the horse to beat. A fourth Group 1 for Dubai Honour! 🏆@TomMarquand's mount protected his 100% record in Australia earlier this morning, seeing off Duke De Sessa to land the Tancred Stakes for @WilliamHaggas... — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 1, 2025 'Dubai Honour is the horse to beat, he's got nothing to prove compared to the local horses,' said Hayes. 'People have billed it as a clash between him and Voyage Bubble and I do see it that way as well. 'If there's a horse that can cause an upset, maybe that's us, but realistically I'd be over the moon to run in the first three. I have incredible respect for Voyage Bubble. 'I haven't looked at Voyage Bubble's pedigree but he's very good at 2,000m – if it rains then Rubylot will love it and it will make things very interesting.'
