Pierre Ng eyes Group Three glory in bid to kick-start stable's late-season push
Battling a quiet second half of the season, Pierre Ng Pang-chi hopes to kick-start a winning run to end his campaign when he launches a strong assault on Saturday's Group Three features at Sha Tin.
Runner-up to Francis Lui Kin-wai in last year's dramatic finale to the trainers' championship, Ng picked up where he left off to lead the race for the title through to January this term.
However, the 41-year-old has managed just 10 winners since the Lunar New Year meeting and slipped to eighth in the premiership standings with 38 winners.
'It has been a bit quiet,' Ng admitted. 'Even last year, after the Chinese New Year it was quite quiet as well. That's something I have to think about during the off-season. I gave many horses a break during the middle of the season and then I've brought them back, so I'm looking forward to June.
'I won't have a title run or anything like that, but we'll just keep on going and rolling and then wait for next season.'
Ng will aim to replicate last year's haul of three wins from the final four Group races of the Hong Kong season when he starts Johannes Brahms and Ka Ying Generation in the Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) and Mugen and Beauty Waves in the Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) on Saturday.
Johannes Brahms could be Ng's strongest chance of the quartet, with the talented four-year-old lining up for the first time since his unlucky sixth to Cap Ferrat in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) in March.
The Irish import also had excuses when a fast-finishing third to Rubylot in the Classic Cup (1,800m) and was an impressive Class Two winner over a mile in February.
'He's been running very well for us. We've given him three trials in between runs and we targeted this race before the Derby,' Ng said.
Tough win, Johannes Brahms! 💪
Former Aidan O'Brien galloper grabs a second win in Hong Kong, taking the Class 2 Heung Yee Kuk Cup at Sha Tin, for @Atzenijockey and Pierre Ng... 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/BYjvTgQCMg — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 16, 2025
'With a light weight [115lbs] over a mile and Andrea [Atzeni] on, hopefully it works out for us. He's trialled well and he's fit and well.'
Johannes Brahms has drawn barrier five in the field of 11, which is headlined by last-start Group One Champions Mile winner Red Lion. The John Size-trained Red Lion has to overcome the burden of top weight of 135lbs.
Ka Ying Generation will race for the first time since bleeding from both nostrils in December's Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m). Matthew Poon Ming-fai will take the ride on Saturday.
Johannes Brahms and Ka Ying Generation will progress to the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) on June 22. Ng won the Lion Rock Trophy-Premier Plate double with Galaxy Patch last year.
Mugen will use the Sha Tin Vase as a warm-up to his Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) title defence and Ng was buoyed by the sprinter's trial win at Conghua last week.
'He trialled really well the other day with Karis [Teetan on board]. He was very happy with him and said the horse is back in form,' Ng said of Mugen, who has shown indifferent form since his failed trip to Japan for last September's Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m).
'But Karis won't be riding him. He's riding Victor The Winner and Andrea is riding Mugen. With the light weight [115lbs] over 1,200m, I think he'll get prize money and hopefully he runs well. I know it's a bit sharp for him, but he's fresh enough and then we'll target the race we won with him last year.'
Angus Chung Yik-lai will ride Beauty Waves, who has mostly raced at the top level behind superstar Ka Ying Rising since winning October's Group Three National Day Cup (1,000m).
'He's been a bit disappointing his last few runs, but he's been running against top horses and now drops back into Group Three, which he's won at before,' Ng said.
'We tried to switch him off his last couple of races but it didn't really work, so this race we'll just let him roll and with the light weight [115lbs], hopefully he's tough enough to stay on.'
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