Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Lui keeps trainer’s battle exciting
Trainer Francis Lui took his season tally to 50 with a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday night, moving to fourth on the table behind Danny Shum (54), Mark Newnham (52) and Caspar Fownes (51). In fifth, David Hayes has 48 wins, while defending champion John Size took his tally to 46 with a win by Brilliant Express (Starspangledbanner). No other trainers in the top five celebrated a winner on the card.
“I’ll keep trying my best for the championship but it’s hard – it’s very competitive and there’s plenty of time to go. It’s getting exciting, the championship is so competitive, and I will just try to keep my horses performing,” Lui told scmp.com.
“It’s getting exciting, the championship is so competitive, and I will just try to keep my horses performing.” - Francis Lui
Lui won with Thunder Kit (Rich Enuff), 3-year-old gelding Superb Spirit (Zousain) and Meaningful Dragon (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}) who was the longest priced winner on the evening’s card at 15/1.
“I told Luke (Ferraris) to be positive on (Meaningful Dragon), because of the track bias. He likes to fight, it doesn’t matter whether he is two-wide, three-wide, he keeps trying and fighting. He had a lot of problems, last season he was struggling to even finish his barrier trials – he kept tailing off. We just kept trying and he steadily improved,” Lui said.
“(Superb Spirit) is a nice horse. In the future, I think he will stay further as he has a big stride. Hopefully, he can be a Classic Mile horse in time.”
Francis Lui | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Superb Spirit ran fourth on debut last start, and was the sixth-equal top price at the 2024 Inglis Ready2Race Sale at $500,000 when purchased by Ricky Mak from Nolen Racing’s draft. Prior to that, he was sold by Widden Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $80,000.
Superb Spirit is the fifth winner, from five to race, for Totally Sure (Not A Single Doubt) who has a weanling full brother to Superb Spirit and a yearling filly by Hanseatic to come. Totally Sure won a juvenile race in Brisbane and was fourth in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes. She is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Tuscan Sling (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Double for apprentice Nichola Yuen
Nichola Yuen has had a flying start to her career in Hong Kong, and added a double on Sunday with Pierre Ng’s On The Lash (NZ) (Savabeel) and Frankie Lor-trained Run Run Smart (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). Lor had a double with Harry Bentley-ridden Enjoy Golf (Pariah).
“Nichola’s claim definitely helped,” Lor said of Run Run Smart.
“He’s an easy horse who can jump and lead. He seemed to like the wet track, and he’s become more consistent with age. He will have to go up to Class 3 next time, and I will have to ask Nichola if she can ride him again! I had 46 winners last season, and I’m on 37 now, so I still want more.”
“I will have to ask Nichola if she can ride him (Run Run Smart) again! I had 46 winners last season, and I’m on 37 now, so I still want more.” - Frankie Lor
Since arriving in Hong Kong in early March, Yuen has ridden nine winners. She rode over 60 winners in South Australia when part of an apprentice exchange program, and has also ridden winner in New Zealand and South Africa.
Conghua facilities key to Lahore’s recovery
Trainer Jamie Richards credited the facility at Conghua with the rehabilitation of 4-year-old gelding Lahore (Hellbent) who returned in style to lead a Richards double at Sha Tin. Lahore bled back in February.
“He obviously was running well his at first couple of runs and then we thought we’d try and get him out in distance, but unfortunately he doesn’t get around the corners very well, so we went back to the straight and he ran well and then unfortunately had a bleed,” Richards told scmp.com.
Jamie Richards | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He’s been up to Conghua, used the really good facilities up there for a bit of a break and a freshen up, used the day paddocks and he’s come back in good order. I’m really pleased for the owners, they’ve been really patient and the boys have done a good job.
“He’s (Lahore) been up to Conghua, used the really good facilities up there for a bit of a break and a freshen up, used the day paddocks and he’s come back in good order.” - Jamie Richards
“Very pleased with the way that he won, I thought Zac gave him a beautiful ride. He got a lovely run, got a nice bit of cover, the field split so he was able to see plenty of daylight – no hard luck. He won well and he’s going to cop a bit of a penalty, but he might be able to go on with it.”
Previously placed four times, this was Lahore’s first win in Hong Kong from 11 starts. Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased him for $310,000 from Milburn Creek’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft. He is one of two winners for Angasi (Street Boss {USA}) who is a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner and G1 South Australian Derby-placed Shoreham (Reset).
Richards other winner on the card was Romantic Fantasy (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}) who hadn’t won for 830 days but he has had seven placings in that time.
“Nice to get a win with the horse, he’s been knocking on the door, he’s had four seconds. He’s earned some good prizemoney for his owners, but I was quietly confident he was ready to run well today with a bit of cut in the ground, being a European horse,” Richards said.
“I was quietly confident he (Romantic Fantasy) was ready to run well today with a bit of cut in the ground, being a European horse” - Jamie Richards
“He’s probably a typical European horse that’s just needed a long time to acclimatise, and he’s a staying horse, and there’s only so many races that they can run in.”
