Latest news with #ShaTinRacecourse
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Harry Bentley looking forward to plum ride on ‘very competitive' Lo Rider at Sha Tin
The 33-year-old is hoping a drop in distance will be a masterstroke by Caspar Fownes Harry Bentley is relishing the chance to get on board the unexposed Lo Rider in the Class Two Hong Kong Reunification Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Tuesday as he looks to end the season on a high. The Harzand galloper was last seen running a massive race to finish fourth in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) back in March, defying odds of $19. Ridden that day by Hugh Bowman, he set out to make all the running and only begrudgingly gave up the lead at the 200m pole, ultimately finishing less than two lengths behind Cap Ferrat. While he is yet to break through from six starts in Hong Kong, Lo Rider was a two-time winner in Ireland when known as Sharinay and went close to a win when a neck second to Steps Ahead at Sha Tin in February. HISTORY AT SHA TIN! 👏👏@CWilliamsJockey wins the 148th @BMW Hong Kong Derby aboard Cap Ferrat for trainer Francis Lui over a fast-closing My Wish... #4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025 The four-year-old has been absent since his Derby run, but he trialled well on the Sha Tin all-weather surface two weeks ago and Bentley thinks a drop in trip by trainer Caspar Fownes could be the key to a first local success. 'He's a good ride to have picked up, there's no question about that,' said Bentley. 'I think he's in this class as well. Obviously he's dropping in trip, which is something to consider. 'But he's definitely a great ride to have picked up from Caspar and looks to be a very competitive runner. 'Having not had any experience on the horse up until this point, I can't hand on heart say whether he'll love the drop in distance. Clearly Caspar thinks it's the right option and I totally trust his judgment. 'He's a really solid horse bringing good form into the race and he has a light weight too – he has to be considered.' Bentley has six rides on Tuesday's programme, including a pair of debutants, but he is particularly hopeful in the chances of Happy Universe in the Class Four Riding High Together Handicap (1,600m). The Jimmy Ting Koon-ho-trained five-year-old was a dual winner in New Zealand but is yet to add to his tally in Hong Kong, though it is not through a lack of trying. The Zacinto galloper has finished second on two occasions, most recently over Tuesday's course and distance back in April where he was only beaten a length. 'He's been a horse that's been a bit unlucky. Last time he didn't get drawn overly well but he's a consistent runner,' said Bentley. Bright Inheritance gets his second win! Dennis Yip's Star Witness galloper is the recipient of a superb @LukeFerraris drive... 🙌#LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 20, 2025 'I think the draw [gate two] is a massive plus this time and he can get into a nice position and run another solid race.' British-born Bentley is in his fourth full season in Hong Kong and sits on the 30-winner mark for the campaign. Matching his career-best haul of 39 winners is a bridge too far this campaign, but the 33-year-old is satisfied with another solid season that he hopes he can end on a successful note. 'Obviously you're always striving for more but I'm happy enough to get 30 winners up,' said Bentley. 'I'll just keep getting my head down and hopefully add to that tally before the season is up.'
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
David Eustace boasts strong hand in Reunification Cup: ‘He does need to learn to jump'
David Eustace hasn't left a Sha Tin meeting empty-handed since mid-May and the trainer looks well placed to continue his hot run at Tuesday's Hong Kong Reunification Raceday. Successful for the sixth straight Sha Tin meeting when banging in a double on Saturday, Eustace has a strong hand in Tuesday's Class Two Hong Kong Reunification Cup (1,400m) thanks to the airborne Light Years Charm and the consistent Swift Ascend. Light Years Charm chases a third straight victory after a pair of course-and-distance victories and Eustace is hopeful the exciting four-year-old can continue his march up the ratings. 'I'm very happy with him. He's trained on nicely. I haven't had to do too much with him and he's holding his condition great,' said Eustace of Light Years Charm, who has rocketed to a rating of 93 and will carry 129lb on Tuesday. Light Years Charm has been winning in spite of his tendency to begin only moderately – something Eustace knows is going to be harder to do as his charge climbs the ratings. Light Years Charm goes from last-to-first with a BANG in Class 2 at Sha Tin! ✨@EustaceRacing and @zpurton combine with the smart 4YO by Rubick, who soars to consecutive wins... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 8, 2025 Zac Purton will be tasked with finding a position with cover from the tricky barrier 10 on Tuesday and the jockey will be hoping Light Years Charm jumps well enough to give him options. 'As Zac has touched on, it's going to get harder the way he races,' said Eustace. 'He does need to learn to jump and he hasn't really got better at it throughout the season, so that's going to be the big query. Is he up to it now or down the track? You'd like to think so.' 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. Swift Ascend is another galloper likely to be coming from off the pace and Eustace is feeling positive about a horse who has run well behind some handy horses in consecutive 1,400m starts. 'I was delighted with Swift Ascend's run the other day [when fifth behind Packing Hermod, Dancing Code, Young Champion and Mickley],' said Eustace. 'They didn't go that quick and his closing sectionals were the best of the meeting. He's trialled well since. There looks like there'll be pace in that race, which I think will really suit him.' Young Champion and Mickley are also among the 12-strong field for Tuesday's feature, while Taj Dragon, Healthy Happy, Lo Rider and Brilliant Express also line up. Eustace also saddles up Glorious Ryder, Inno Super, Without Delay, Francis Meynell and Glorious Success as he looks to add to his 35 victories so far in his maiden Hong Kong campaign. Before turning his attention to Tuesday's fixture, Eustace will be dialled in on Monday morning's all-weather trials at Sha Tin, where Massive Sovereign will stretch his legs with a view to a possible run before the end of the season. Not seen at the races since running sixth in November's Group Three Sa Sa Ladies' Purse (1,800m) and then undergoing fetlock surgery in December, Massive Sovereign has since switched from Dennis Yip Chor-hong to Eustace and he will have his third trial for his new handler. All going well on Monday, last year's Hong Kong Derby hero could line up in the Class One 1,600m contest on July 13. 'He's going to trial on Monday and then we'll make a call with Zac and [owner Chan Kam-hung] after that,' confirmed Eustace.
South China Morning Post
08-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Light Years Charm goes whoosh again at Sha Tin: ‘it's hard to know what the ceiling is'
Light Years Charm cruises to victory under Zac Purton at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan Light Years Charm continued his march up the ratings and trainer David Eustace's impressive first Hong Kong campaign kept rolling during the season's first twilight meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday. Chasing back-to-back victories on Class Two debut, Light Years Charm was sent off the $1.7 favourite for the Lee On Handicap (1,400m), but there were a few nervous moments for his supporters and connections. Not known for being the quickest away, Light Years Charm found himself detached from the field after being squeezed between horses early. Still last turning for home but looming ominously, Light Years Charm barrelled home down the outside under Zac Purton to salute by a length and a half eased down. Light Years Charm goes from last-to-first with a BANG in Class 2 at Sha Tin! ✨@EustaceRacing and @zpurton combine with the smart 4YO by Rubick, who soars to consecutive wins... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 8, 2025 'It was a perfect ride. The horse actually did jump better than he normally does but he got squeezed at the start,' said Eustace. 'Zac took his time and assessed the pace up front and the horse lengthened really well.' In a race run well over a second inside standard for the final 1,200m, Purton bided his time before pouncing on his tiring opponents. 'It was a really good effort. He actually didn't begin that bad but the runner on the inside and the runner on the outside both shifted ground so that put him on the back foot, but I just left him alone,' said the jockey. 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. 'The other guys were busy running their 1,000m race and when they were finished doing that, I just chimed in at the 400m and ran the race like it should have been run.' Trainer David Eustace with Zac Purton and the jockey's children, Cash and Roxy. Light Years Charm's third Hong Kong victory will lift his rating into the 90s and Eustace is considering one more run before turning his attention to next season with the four-year-old. 'There's a Class Two [1,400m] on July 1 which is fairly tempting. We'll see how we go,' said Eustace. 'He'll definitely appreciate a break [when it comes] and I hope he'll get better next season. He's doing nothing wrong at the moment. 'It's hard to know what the ceiling is. He's only four and he's a big, raw horse. It would be wrong for me to put targets on his back. We'll see how far he gets. 'He's obviously going to have to continue to improve, but hopefully he can.' Zac Purton after landing a double at Sha Tin on Sunday. Eustace took his total to 30 winners for the season and with the stable operating in solid form, he's hopeful of finishing the term with a flourish. '[I'm] happy with how it's gone so far. They've raced well and consistently, and the team at home are doing a great job. We'll try and round the season out well,' he said. The victory of Light Years Charm completed a double for seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Purton after his earlier success aboard the John Size-trained Ping Hai Comet in the Class Four Lam Tin Handicap (1,600m). It was a super training effort from Size to have his five-year-old ready to win over the Sha Tin mile just 11 days after breaking his maiden with victory over 2,200m at Happy Valley. Size left Sha Tin with a brace of his own thanks to the later success of Majestic Express in the Class Three On Yam Handicap (1,000m). The master handler is edging ever closer to his 13th trainers' premiership after increasing his lead over the second-placed David Hayes to eight wins with 10 meetings remaining.
South China Morning Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Pierre Ng eyes Group Three glory in bid to kick-start stable's late-season push
Pierre Ng (left) has four runners across Saturday's pair of Group Three features at Sha Tin. Photos: Kenneth Chan 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 — 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.'
