Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Fownes winner maintains lead in Premiership
Caspar Fownes celebrated a winner with Love Together (Capitalist) to take his season tally to 61, while Mark Newnham also had a winner to move into equal second with Danny Shum on 57 wins apiece. Francis Lui sits on 51 and David Hayes on 50.
“It was quite exciting because we fancied it, actually,” Fownes said after Love Together’s success. “We thought the horse was going really good, and he deserved to win. He’s been racing really well for a 3-year-old all season, mixing it at both tracks.
“So, it’s nice when you get it right and when they win by those margins (a short head). When you’re fighting out a championship, this is where it comes down to, where we need them.”
Love Together, a 3-year-old gelding, was a winner in Australia when named Mednyi and placed in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes before heading to Hong Kong. He took his record to three wins from 14 career starts with earnings over HK$4.29 million (AU$880,000).
He was originally sold by Emirates Park at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $350,000 to James Harron’s Colt Partnership and was on-sold via Inglis Digital in April 2025 for $160,000.
Caspar Fownes | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Love Together is a half-brother to Listed Merson Cooper Stakes winner Ebhaar (I Am Invincible) and Group 3-placed Shotmaker (Shooting To Win). Their dam, Maroon Bay (Exceed And Excel), is a dual winning full sister to Group 1 winner and sire Merchant Navy, Group 2 winner Jolie Bay, Listed winner Setanta, and stakes placed Zara Bay.
Milestone for Ricky Yiu
Trainer Ricky Yiu became just the fifth trainer in Hong Kong history to celebrate 1100 wins in the region when Chill Easy (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) won for jockey Jerry Chau on Sunday night.
“I’ve been training here for over 30 years, so for the period of time I’ve been a trainer, I can make it there. If I only had 20 years, I wouldn’t have made it,” Yiu told hkjc.com.
Chau had a double on Mark Newnham’s Ace (NZ) (Tivaci) to take him to 44 wins for the season, giving him a 12-win lead in the Tony Cruz Award.
“Jerry rode the perfect race – that was the position we wanted. From a good barrier, up to 1600 metres and the blinkers on, he had the right set-up to win. Jerry carried it out,” Newnham said.
“A lack of concentration has been a trait of his – he got away with it in Class Five, but I wanted to give him another couple of races to see if he’d switched on yet. Last time he ran on a wet track it didn’t suit him, but I thought today was the right day to go with the blinkers – he’s had a few races now and it just helped him travel in a better position.
“He’s a big strong horse who does well in the stable and pulls up well after each run, so there’s probably another run in him.”
Ricky Yiu | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hot Delight looks Classic series worthy
Francis Lui-trained Hot Delight (Too Darn Hot {GB}) looks like an exciting Classic Series prospect for next season after taking his record to four wins from five starts this season. Unbeaten in his first three starts, all in Hong Kong, he was fourth last start and bounced back under Vincent Ho. He took his earnings over HK$4.4 million (AU$813,000).
“He’s an honest horse and I think his quality is very good. He got a bad draw last time and maybe the jockey didn’t know him as well – Vincent knows him really well and he got a good position and had him travelling well,” Lui said.
“Vincent said he was really happy with how he performed. If he can improve, I think he has very good potential. I think we can plan backwards from the Classic Series now – he’s our first choice for the race.”
John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $250,000 for Hot Delight from Attunga Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. A half-brother to Group 3 winner Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi {GB}), Hot Delight is the fifth winner for Love Somebody (Fastnet Rock), a half-sister to stakes placed Excellent Dancer (Exceed And Excel).
Hot Delight is the second highest rated 3-year-old in Hong Kong this season, on 82 before this win, behind 85-rated Salon S (Zousain) trained by Frankie Lor. Salon S is currently spelling ahead of a Classic Series campaign next season.
“I think 1600 metres is best for him, but any further I can’t say right now. He’s having a long break at the moment to get ready for next season,” Lor told scmp.com earlier in the week.
Frankie Lor | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Other possible nicely rated Classic Series contenders at this early stage are David Hayes-trained My Mars (Ire) (Advertise {GB}), Jamie Richards-trained Cool Boy (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}, and Brett Crawford-trained Mr Incredible (Toronado {Ire}).
Catalogue released for International Sale
The annual Hong Kong Jockey Club International Sale will be held on July 3. Inspection days begin on June 8, and the breeze ups will be held at Sha Tin on June 20. The catalogue is now live.
The 22 lots are listed with their yearling auction price which range from R800,000 (AU$68,000) to $800,000. One has been withdrawn.
Savabeel has three entries, while Deep Field, Mehmas (Ire), Dundeel (NZ), Toronado (Ire) and Starspangledbanner all have two each.
One of the Starspangledbanner entries will confuse Australian readers, as the Irish-born gelding is out of Miss Finland. No, not our Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), he is out of Miss Finland (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who was a juvenile winner in England and she is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Terebellum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who was twice Group 1-placed.
Lot 9 by Deep Field is the most expensive yearling among them, having cost $800,000 from Silverdale Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in 2024. The 3-year-old gelding is the first foal of stakes placed Merited (Fastnet Rock) who is a daughter of G2 Counties Cup winner Jeu De Cartes (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}).
Coming in next most expensive is the Irish-born Mehmas (Ire), a 3-year-old gelding who cost 380,000 gns (AU$754,000) at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He is out of winning Camelot (Ire) mare Arctic Ocean (Ire) who is a half-sister to dual Listed winner Beauty Amigo (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who added two wins to his career after arriving in Hong Kong.
Of note, there are three horses sourced in South Africa, including Lot 6 by Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight, an Australian-bred son of More Than Ready {USA}). Lot 6's dam, G2 Turffontein Camellia Stakes winner Honorine (Redoute’s Choice) is from the family of Group 1 winner and sire Almanzor (Fr).
The other sires represented are Per Incanto (USA), Written Tycoon, Calyx (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB), What A Winter (Saf), Proisir, and I Am Invincible.
