Star Japanese Three-Year-Old Set For Arc Bid
Jockey Yuichi Kitamura returns to scale after winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun at Tokyo (IDOL HORSE/SHUHEI OKADA)
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The Standard
10 hours ago
- The Standard
Star Japanese Three-Year-Old Set For Arc Bid
Jockey Yuichi Kitamura returns to scale after winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun at Tokyo (IDOL HORSE/SHUHEI OKADA)
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
The Hong Kong Racing Postscript: who's hot, who's not and the best of June
Ellis Wong celebrates his first Hong Kong treble at Sha Tin on Saturday. Photos: Kenneth Chan An apprentice continued his hot form, a veteran handler had a big month and a few prominent jockeys struggled to fire in June. 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? Fresh from his best month of the campaign with five wins in May, Ellis Wong Chi-wang went to another level in June with eight victories from just 35 rides – operating at a phenomenal strike rate of 22.86 per cent. The 24-year-old's haul for the month was second only to Zac Purton (11 wins) as he continues an impressive end to the season. Zac Purton was in fine form once again in June. Harry Bentley and Brenton Avdulla also had successful months with five victories apiece. From a trainer's perspective, Tony Cruz shone with seven winners from 49 runners, helping him jump from 10th to seventh in the championship standings. David Eustace also had a big month with six winners from 44 runners while Manfred Man Ka-leung, Chris So Wai-yin and Douglas Whyte each bagged five wins. Man's exceptional strike rate of 10.7 per cent for the season is second only to championship leader John Size (11.1). 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. Who's not? Hugh Bowman and Luke Ferraris sit second and fifth in the jockeys' championship, respectively, but June was a month to forget for the top riders after they managed just one win each. Superb Kid was Luke Ferraris' sole winner in June. Matthew Poon Ming-fai and Keith Yeung Ming-lun also had just one triumph each, while Ben Thompson failed to visit the winners' enclosure, with the Australian carrying a winless streak of 79 rides into the final month of the term. Four handlers had just one win in June – Frankie Lor Fu-chuen, Mark Newnham, David Hall and Jamie Richards. Win of the month He's rarely beaten far despite racing in some of the city's biggest features and he's consistent without often winning, but Beauty Joy managed to bag another Group success in emphatic style this month. The old boy, Beauty Joy! 🫡 Tony Cruz's 8YO wins the season's final Group race, the G3 Premier Plate, with @brentonavdulla at Sha Tin... @Beautystablehk #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 22, 2025 Tony Cruz's eight-year-old overcame a slow start to rattle home from second last in the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) field of 14, bursting down the centre of the track under Avdulla to comfortably account for Derby hero Cap Ferrat by a length and a quarter. It was Beauty Joy's first victory since last year's Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m) and a signature result in a campaign that included a barnstorming third in the Group One Hong Kong Mile in December and fourth in the Group One Stewards' Cup (1,600m). More importantly, it convinced Cruz and connections to extend the HK$35.3 million earner's career for another season. Ride of the month If you're looking for an example of the perfect ride down the Sha Tin 1,000m straight, look no further than Avdulla's on Majestic Express. Look at Majestic Express run home! 🚂💨@brentonavdulla times his run to perfection atop the Larry Yung-owned sprinter with a swift rail-skimming finish for trainer John Size... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 8, 2025 Drawn unfavourably in gate five, the John Size-trained sprinter was taken back in the field by Avdulla, who gradually made his way towards the better going near the grandstand rail. The move was successful when Majestic Express got all the way to the grandstand rail passing the 500m and Avdulla waited until the 200m to unleash his mount, who responded with a paralysing late burst. He arrived just in time to run down Fast Responder by a short head.
South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong triathlon big guns condemned to nervous National Games selection wait
One of Hong Kong's best triathletes will not make the city's squad for the National Games, and head coach Andrew Wright said they only had themselves to blame. While Wong Tsz-to and Bailee Brown secured automatic qualification at this weekend's China National Triathlon Championships, Jason Ng Tai-long, Oscar Coggins and Robin Elg all failed to meet the required standard. That leaves Wright having to decide who to take in a six-strong squad of three men and three women for the competition in November. In the women's race in Xuzhou on Saturday, Brown finished fifth to claim her place in the squad, and while she, Cade Wright, Wong and Elg combined for second in Sunday's relay, the head coach said that would not be good enough for a medal at the Games. While no Hong Kong athlete achieved automatic individual Games qualification in the opening two selection races, in April and May, Wong ticked every box on Saturday. Hong Kong head coach Andrew Wright has a tough decision to make. Photo: Dickson Lee He was the first Hongkonger across the line, his ninth position was inside the requisite top 20, and the 26-year-old's time of one hour, 51 minutes and 29 seconds was within 5 per cent of winner Zhang Xiriu's 1:46.49.
