12-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Champions & Chater Cup could attract biggest field in decades as local entries confirmed
Voyage Bubble wins the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Hong Kong Gold Cup, in February. Photo: Kenneth Chan
Not since John Size's Super Kid beat home 12 rivals in 2004 have more than 10 gone to post for the final Group One of the Hong Kong season
The Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) could attract its biggest field in over 20 years after the Jockey Club confirmed the local entries for the final Group One of the Hong Kong season.
Not since John Size's Super Kid beat home 12 rivals in 2004 have more than 10 gone to post for the Champions & Chater Cup, something that might change come May 25.
With officials confident British star Dubai Honour will board a flight to Hong Kong later this week and Voyage Bubble headlining 11 local entries, a dozen gallopers could line up in the HK$13 million contest.
While Dubai Honour, who was runner-up in December's Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) and will be having his fourth start in Hong Kong, and Triple Crown aspirant Voyage Bubble are the stars of the show, there was a good spread among Monday afternoon's entries.
Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) winner Bundle Award and four of the five horses he beat home in the traditional lead-up race – Noisy Boy, Winning Dragon, Five G Patch and La City Blanche – have been nominated, with Bundle Award and Noisy Boy among a quartet of four-year-olds in the mix.
BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) winner Cap Ferrat has been entered after running a game fifth behind Japan's Tastiera in the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) last month, and Classic Cup hero Rubylot joins him after finishing sixth in the same Champions Day feature.
Ensued, the first local galloper home in the QE II Cup, will try and hand Size another win in the race, while Moments In Time also heads towards the Champions & Chater Cup after a solid showing behind Tastiera.
Rounding out the local entries is Sword Point, who could be seen on a racetrack for the first time since running a long last in the Group Two Godolphin Mile when resenting the kickback on the Meydan dirt.
Group One winners eye Group Threes
While the Champions & Chater Cup is the final Group One of the Hong Kong season, that doesn't mean there won't be Group One winners strutting their stuff post the May 25 feature.
A string a John Size's best gallopers were kept ticking over with trials at Sha Tin on Monday morning with a view to the Group Three contests at the end of the month.
The past two winners of the Group One Champions Mile, Beauty Eternal and Red Lion, are expected to head to the Group Three Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) on May 31 after following Packing Hermod across the line in a 1,200m dirt trial.
Helios Express also finished just off the winner in his six-furlong hit-out and he will be looking to make hay while Ka Ying Rising is away in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) on that May 31 card.
🌏 racing's highest earner Romantic Warrior on track at Sha Tin this morning. @mcacajamez @WorldPool
Quarantine is now complete and he's returned home to Danny Shum's stable. 👏 — Declan Schuster 蘇時達 (@SchusterDeclan) May 12, 2025
After securing a remarkable HK$16.4 million in prize money purely through placing behind Ka Ying Rising in all seven of his runs this season, Helios Express is on track to chase his first victory since March last year.
With Ka Ying Rising having a well-earned rest ahead of his trip to Australia for October's The Everest (1,200m), connections will be hopeful the 117-rated Helios Express has enough in the tank to secure a much-deserved success late in the season.
Size's gallopers weren't the only big names to grace Sha Tin yesterday morning, with the biggest gun of all, Romantic Warrior, having his first poke around his home track since clearing quarantine following his lengthy stint in the Middle East.
