Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hall’s double elevates him to Hong Kong milestone
A double at Sha Tin for trainer David Hall lifted him into rare company, becoming the tenth currently active trainer in Hong Kong to have won 700 or more races in the region. His winners were Ka Ying Attack (NZ) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Kempes (Arg) (In The Dark {Arg}).
“It’s not something you go to work every day thinking about but 700 (wins) sounds good – 800 will sound better,” Hall told hkjc.com. His pair have been consistent with Ka Ying Attack making it three wins in succession, while Kempes has won his last two starts.
Matthew Poon rode Ka Ying Attack to victory and the 5-year-old gelding now has six wins from 19 starts, all of them in Hong Kong. He won a trial as a juvenile in New Zealand prior to heading to Hong Kong.
“I decided to take him back and it’s easy now to say that decision was the right one but it was a perfectly executed ride as well. I didn’t want him to get caught wide first-up. The horse is just flying; he’s in the zone – he finished off last season well and he’s started this season in the same form. It’s exciting, it’s great,” Hall said.
Ka Ying Attack was sold by Jamieson Park for NZ$30,000 to RR Philp at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale and was withdrawn from the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale. He is one of four winners for Refreshing (Stratum), an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible).
Kempes, who won the G1 Estrellas Juvenile over a mile in Argentina before arriving in Hong Kong, took his record to five wins from 20 starts with three of those wins in Hong Kong.
“He’ll go back to Conghua. He’s enjoying the routine he’s in at the moment. He’s not just a dirt horse – he can run on the grass just as effectively, as you’ve seen. He’s probably as good as he’s ever been in Hong Kong – it’s taken a long time, but he’s putting it together now,” Hall said.
Andrea Atzeni rode Kempes and Jolly Brilliant (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) to score a brace for the evening.
Injury prone sale topper has massive potential
Megastar Heart (Star Turn) who topped the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale at NZ$825,000, then won a Listed race at two, has finally returned to the winner’s circle after a long injury break.
“He’s been lame since he arrived – proper lame. It’s frustrating but that’s what we work for – to get that and hopefully now he pulls up alright and he comes back and then we’ve got something to work with going forward,” trainer Caspar Fownes said.
“If we can do that, he’s a chance to get there. He’s a chance to really get up through the ratings.
“He’s a very nice horse. He’s had a lot of problems. He’s been one of the hardest horses for me to train in my career. So, for me to get him to where he is now and finally get him fit, I think we have a really nice horse going forward and I thank the owner (Good Time Syndicate) for being a little bit patient with him because we had to take a long time to get him to where we want to have him. I think he’s a chance to go quite high.”
Second on debut at two, he won in Sydney before winning the Listed Oxlade Stakes in June 2024. Unsighted at the races until May 2026, he had three starts in Hong Kong at the end of last season and was resuming for the season with this victory.
Megastar Heart now has three wins and he earned over HK$2.5 million (AU$456,000) for Sunday’s victory thanks to a PP bonus.
“He trialled well in China but he still sort of gave me the impression that he hasn’t figured it out yet – I know he’s a PP – but on the bend, he wanted to run off a bit today and when he straightened up, he wanted something to come with him and there was nothing,” jockey Luke Ferraris said.
“He got up next to the fence was a bit wayward but it was done in style and it’s exciting.”
Originally sold by Fairview Park Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $120,000 to Solari Bloodstock, he went through KP Bloodstock’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft where Pato Leung and Solari Bloodstock paid NZ$825,000 for him to the sale that year.
He is the only winner for Commonwealth (Foxwedge) who is a maiden winner from the family of blue hen mare Mica’s Pride (Bite The Bullet {USA}), dam of Group 1 winners Criterion (NZ) (Sebring) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock), as well as Group 2 winner Varenna Miss (Redoute’s Choice) and Listed winner Silently (Anabaa {USA}).
Treble for Deep Field
Retired sire Deep Field dominated Sha Tin’s Sunday card with a treble. Brett Crawford-trained Shinyu Kokoroe (NZ) won the first on the card and were joined in the winner’s circle by Pierre Ng-trained Storm Mirror and Douglas Whyte-trained Celestial Hero.
Deep Field’s final crop of six foals are now 3-year-olds, but he has built an enviable record in Hong Kong over his years of service. Five of his 45 stakes winners were in Hong Kong, where he has sired 73 individual winners who have won 218 races in the region.
Six-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble who has earnings over HK$132 million (AU$) trialled at Conghua on Monday morning for trainer Ricky Yiu and is one of two Group 1 winners for Deep Field in Hong Kong. The other is Sky Field who won the G1 Hong Kong Sprint.
“We look forward to seeing how he can perform this season because he's eight now, just turned eight. Fingers crossed. But at the moment, I'm really happy with his training and what he has shown us,” Yiu told thestandard.com.hk.
“We'll just take it race by race with him.”
Celestial Hero won the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (c&g) on debut in 2024 when named High Octane, and now has two further victories in Hong Kong. China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and partners paid $1.05 million for him as a yearling from Segenhoe Stud’s 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft. A half-brother to Group 3-placed Pass Line (Zoustar), they are out of Listed winner Granny Red Shoes (Not A Single Doubt).
Shinyu Kokoroe won twice at the Gold Coast in 2024 when named Steel King before heading to Hong Kong and this victory was his first in the region from 14 starts there. KPW Bloodstock paid NZ$475,000 for him from Waikato Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft. He is one of two winners for Syrahbeel (NZ) (Savabeel) who is a winning half-sister to Group 1 winners Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and A Touch Of Ruby (NZ) (Pins).
Storm Mirror’s victory was his maiden win, having had three starts last term as a 3-year-old and celebrating at his second run this time in. He is the second winner for Egyptian Bullet (Bullet Train {GB}) whose 3-year-old filly Egyptian Dancer (Portland Sky) placed twice at Caulfield as a 2-year-old last season.
Mighty Profit gives Chau a double
Jockey Jerry Chau rode a double on Chris So-trained Sunny Q (Rich Enuff) and David Eustace-trained Mighty Profit (Maurice {Jpn}). The 4-year-old gelding was having only his second career start, and his first for this campaign.
“He behaved quite well today and there’s still improvement to come there I think in just his manners pre-race,” Eustace told scmp.com.
“But he was able to jump clean, which we’ve done some work on. He got into a nice rhythm and I like the way he was able to put the race to bed down the straight. The team in Conghua have done a great job. He’s trained solely up there pretty much because he can get a bit hot and a bit excited, so a good team effort.”
Kulani Park sold Mighty Profit at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $200,000 to Bahen Bloodstock and Kris Lees Racing. He won a trial at Newcastle before heading to Hong Kong. He is one of two winners for unraced Complete Finish (Makfi {GB}) who is a half-sister to Fastnet Rock-sired pair of Group 1 winner Albany Reunion and Group 1-placed Fast Dragon.
