Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Size has late season run
As has happened so often in the past, trainer John Size has made a late season charge towards another Trainer’s Premiership with a four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday. He’s now on 40 wins, nine behind current leader Caspar Fownes (49). The table is tight with Mark Newnham on 48 wins, Danny Shum on 46, David Hayes on 44 and Francis Lui on 42.
Size won with former Champion Griffin Sky Jewellery (The Autumn Sun), Nautical Force (GB) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Must Go (All Too Hard) and Noble Deluxe (Toronado {Ire}). Three of Size’s four winners were ridden by Karis Teetan, with Sky Jewellery ridden by Hugh Bowman.
Sky Jewellery hadn’t raced since he won in April 2025, having bled at the trials in November 2025. He took his record to four wins from six starts, and is a son of Group 1 winner Rollout The Carpet (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
“That’s nice the way he returned. That’s the way you’d hope he’d come back. You know, it might be a blessing, all these things are sent for a reason. So hopefully if his health maintains, he can win a few races,” Size told scmp.com.
“It’s just nice to see them come back and do well. You know, it’s not about my gratification, it’s just about the horses that have a problem and can overcome in some way.”
John Size | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Nautical Force, who won twice in Ireland at three, was on debut in Hong Kong although he’d had 11 trials since arriving in the region in November 2025.
“He’s a lovely horse, he’s only a little fellah and he’s probably going to improve with racing in Hong Kong. I think for his first day, that was a wonderful effort,” Size said. “I’ve got no idea how he will develop and what he’ll go on with, but this is what I thought might be suited for him – if I could get him into a race with a light weight and a bit of distance, I thought he might run well for the owners.”
Purton clocks a ton for the 11th time
Champion jockey Zac Purton achieved his first century of wins in Hong Kong in 2013/14 with 112 victories. He didn’t do it again until 2016/17 but has now achieved the benchmark for 10 consecutive seasons, 11 in total. In 2022/23, he hit the Hong Kong record with 179 wins. He also holds the record for overall wins at 1978, after breaking Douglas Whyte’s record of 1813 victories last season.
“It sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s got a nice ring to it and an even number, which is good,” Purton told hkjc.com.
The century came up with Francis Lui-trained Gold Patch (NZ) (Ardrossan), and Purton later added one more on Frankie Lor-trained Absolute Honour (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). “(Gold Patch) is a nice, young, improving horse – he still doesn’t know what he’s doing. He overcame a bit of adversity again in the mid-stages and he’s shown a nice ability to quicken. He did a really good job.”
Gold Patch, a 3-year-old gelding, was sold by Landsdowne Park at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$155,000 to Lilywhites Lodge who pinhooked him at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale where KM Yeung put his hand up at NZ$250,000.
Like Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), Gold Patch is out of a Per Incanto (USA) mare, being the second foal of La Donna (NZ).
Fownes takes the lead with single win
Caspar Fownes only needed one victory on Sunday to regain the lead on the tight Trainer’s Premiership battle, and he did it with the impressive rehabilitation effort of Target Audience (NZ) (Derryn) who hadn’t raced for nine months with a tendon injury.
Caspar Fownes | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He did a good job on his tendon, so it’s always hard to bring those types of horses back,” Fownes told scmp.com.
“He (Target Audience) did a good job on his tendon, so it’s always hard to bring those types of horses back.” - Caspar Fownes
“But we spent a lot of time with him rehabbing him obviously – it’s been about nine months since his (last) run and he was ready to go to the races. I just gave him a nice, soft 800-metre trial – he trialled good the other day and he’s had a great, long preparation for this race.
“We just thought the last sort of 50 metres he might be a bit vulnerable. I said to Jo (Moreira) ‘you’re going to run well but he might just be a bit vulnerable, first up for so long’.”
The 4-year-old gelding won on debut in New Zealand in June 2024 prior to his import to Hong Kong, where he had four mediocre runs before hurting himself. Sunday’s victory was his first in the region. He was sold by Grangewilliam Stud to Shaune Ritchie Racing for NZ$70,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
He is a half-brother to stakes-placed pair of Magic Moment (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) and Princess Rihanna (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}). His dam Magic Tryst (NZ) (Magic Ring {Ire}) won five times and was placed in the G3 Gold Trail Stakes at her third start.
Double for apprentice Wong
Apprentice Britney Wong celebrated a double on Sunday aboard Danny Shum-trained Foremost Teddy (Fastnet Rock) and Tony Cruz-trained Parents’ Love (Deep Field).
“I’m very happy. Today, we started off with a good note. We drew barrier one and back in Class 5, so I knew he (Foremost Teddy) would stand a chance as long as we stuck to the lead. We worked a bit to get to the lead, but he held on very well,” Wong told hkjc.com.
Britney Wong | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“It didn’t work totally to plan (with Parents’ Love) because we thought we would be positioning a bit more forward but it’s okay because it’s down the straight and we had time to get into it slowly and the horse responded very well. I’m very happy with the results.”
“It didn’t work totally to plan (with Parents’ Love) because we thought we would be positioning a bit more forward... we had time to get into it slowly and the horse responded very well.” - Britney Wong
Foremost Teddy was sold by Newhaven Park for $250,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale to Fernrigg Farm, who pinhooked him into the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale where Busuttin Racing and All Winners Thoroughbreds bought him for $320,000. He’s done all his racing in Hong Kong, winning twice during December 2025, and this bought up his third win.
He’s one of two winners for Listed winner Moqueen (Uncle Mo {USA}) whose last foal is unraced 2-year-old filly Queens Code (Exceed And Excel).
Parents’ Love was another pinhooking success, having been sold by Kia Ora Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $50,000 to Riversley Park and Michael Guerin, with Riversley Park selling him at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale for $215,000 to A Value Consulting.
Parents’ Love took his record to five wins, all in Hong Kong, and is one of six winners for National Anthem (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), a half-sister to Starspangledbanner.
