Latest news with #ChampionsMile
Daily Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Trainer David Hayes makes big Mr Brightside call for spring
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Hall of Fame training legend David Hayes played the role of doting grandfather in Victoria this week, but took 'careful note' of the champion Mr Brightside and emerged with a hugely positive bounce-back prediction. Hong Kong-based Hayes was in Australia to see family but was enthralled by what he saw when nine-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside was having a spin at trackwork. Mr Brightside, trained by Hayes' sons Ben, JD and Will, was a flop when venturing to Hong Kong and finishing last in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin in April. But Hayes has drawn on what he saw at trackwork this week – as well as his knowledge of legendary former Australian racing champions who have returned Down Under to win big races after failing overseas – to predict big things for Mr Brightside this spring. He thinks anyone who is writing off the soon to be eight-year-old after his Hong Kong disappointment will have egg on their faces. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Fields Of Omagh travelled to Hong Kong and did no good and came back and won a Cox Plate,' Hayes told Racenet. 'Makybe Diva raced in Japan and didn't win, and she came back even better. 'In more recent times, Antino didn't fire in Hong Kong but then returned to Australia to win a Group 1. 'Docklands didn't go good in Hong Kong, yet then won at Royal Ascot. 'There's a lot of horses this happens to. 'From an overseas trip with a failure, they often bounce back and do very well. 'I'm predicting Mr Brightside will be no exception.' • Hickmott plots challenging path for Melbourne Cup prospect While Hayes trains half a world away in Hong Kong, he always keeps an eagle eye on Mr Brightside. After watching him go through his paces this week, Hayes is certain he is going as well as ever. 'At trackwork today, I took careful note of the boys' champion,' Hayes said. 'I see him at some stage every year and at the same stage of the year this year, I think he is going as well as he has ever been going. 'He will contest weight-for-age races in the spring carnival, but then I think the main goal will be the Champions Stakes (2000m) at the end of the Flemington carnival.' Hayes has also been hugely impressed by War Machine who won the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in devastating style during the Queensland winter carnival. He said War Machine is only getting better and it is exciting to see what he could achieve in the spring carnival and beyond. Originally published as Hall Of Fame trainer David Hayes makes big Mr Brightside prediction
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Hall Of Fame trainer David Hayes makes big Mr Brightside prediction
Hall of Fame training legend David Hayes played the role of doting grandfather in Victoria this week, but took 'careful note' of the champion Mr Brightside and emerged with a hugely positive bounce-back prediction. Hong Kong-based Hayes was in Australia to see family but was enthralled by what he saw when nine-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside was having a spin at trackwork. Mr Brightside, trained by Hayes' sons Ben, JD and Will, was a flop when venturing to Hong Kong and finishing last in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin in April. But Hayes has drawn on what he saw at trackwork this week – as well as his knowledge of legendary former Australian racing champions who have returned Down Under to win big races after failing overseas – to predict big things for Mr Brightside this spring. He thinks anyone who is writing off the soon to be eight-year-old after his Hong Kong disappointment will have egg on their faces. 'Fields Of Omagh travelled to Hong Kong and did no good and came back and won a Cox Plate,' Hayes told Racenet. 'Makybe Diva raced in Japan and didn't win, and she came back even better. 'In more recent times, Antino didn't fire in Hong Kong but then returned to Australia to win a Group 1. ' Docklands didn't go good in Hong Kong, yet then won at Royal Ascot. 'There's a lot of horses this happens to. 'From an overseas trip with a failure, they often bounce back and do very well. 'I'm predicting Mr Brightside will be no exception.' Pressing replay on this Mr Brightside win! 🙌 🎥 @wwos | #StakesDay | #MelbCupCarnival — Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 9, 2024 • While Hayes trains half a world away in Hong Kong, he always keeps an eagle eye on Mr Brightside. After watching him go through his paces this week, Hayes is certain he is going as well as ever. 'At trackwork today, I took careful note of the boys' champion,' Hayes said. 'I see him at some stage every year and at the same stage of the year this year, I think he is going as well as he has ever been going. 'He will contest weight-for-age races in the spring carnival, but then I think the main goal will be the Champions Stakes (2000m) at the end of the Flemington carnival.' Hayes has also been hugely impressed by War Machine who won the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in devastating style during the Queensland winter carnival. He said War Machine is only getting better and it is exciting to see what he could achieve in the spring carnival and beyond.
South China Morning Post
29-05-2025
- 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.'
North Wales Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Lake Forest is Royal Ascot-bound after pleasing weekend return
The William Haggas-trained four-year-old won the Gimcrack as a juvenile and was second in both the Commonwealth Cup and the Hackwood Stakes last term. He ended the year with a trip to Rosehill for the Golden Eagle, where he enjoyed a huge payday when prevailing by half a length to take home the £2.8million prize. It had been the intention he would start his year in Hong Kong for the Champions Mile at Sha Tin, but a minor setback put paid to that plan and instead his first run of the year was the Prix du Palais-Royal in France at the weekend. Ridden by Cieren Fallon in the seven-furlong Group Three affair, the son of No Nay Never made eyecatching late progress from the rear on what was his first start for 204 days. Royal Ascot now beckons, where the one-mile Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the meeting awaits him. 'It was a very good race and I think the winner (Topgear) goes for the (Queen Elizabeth II) Jubilee at Royal Ascot,' said Sean Graham, racing manager to Tony Bloom, who owns the colt together with Ian McAleavy. 'We were always worried going out there that there wouldn't be a strong pace in the race and that proved to be the case. 'It was also his first run back after having a slight setback before he was due to run in Hong Kong. 'He was a bit rusty and he will definitely improve for the run, the plan is to go to the Queen Anne now.'
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Lake Forest is Royal Ascot-bound after pleasing weekend return
The William Haggas-trained four-year-old won the Gimcrack as a juvenile and was second in both the Commonwealth Cup and the Hackwood Stakes last term. He ended the year with a trip to Rosehill for the Golden Eagle, where he enjoyed a huge payday when prevailing by half a length to take home the £2.8million prize. It had been the intention he would start his year in Hong Kong for the Champions Mile at Sha Tin, but a minor setback put paid to that plan and instead his first run of the year was the Prix du Palais-Royal in France at the weekend. Ridden by Cieren Fallon in the seven-furlong Group Three affair, the son of No Nay Never made eyecatching late progress from the rear on what was his first start for 204 days. Royal Ascot now beckons, where the one-mile Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the meeting awaits him. 'It was a very good race and I think the winner (Topgear) goes for the (Queen Elizabeth II) Jubilee at Royal Ascot,' said Sean Graham, racing manager to Tony Bloom, who owns the colt together with Ian McAleavy. 'We were always worried going out there that there wouldn't be a strong pace in the race and that proved to be the case. 'It was also his first run back after having a slight setback before he was due to run in Hong Kong. 'He was a bit rusty and he will definitely improve for the run, the plan is to go to the Queen Anne now.'
