Recruiting the best available talent across a diverse range of fields is of the utmost importance to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and, with this in mind, we are delighted to welcome James Cummings as a trainer for the 2026/27 season.
The Cummings name has been synonymous with high achievement in Australian horse racing for more than 100 years and James is a fourth-generation trainer. At 37, he has already trained 52 Group 1 winners – including two in partnership with his legendary grandfather Bart, who prepared a record 12 Melbourne Cup winners and won 246 Group 1 races.
James will officially join our world-class trainer roster the season after next to enable him to complete his contract with Godolphin and prepare to move to Hong Kong where he will add to an illustrious band of horsemen from Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Hong Kong, China.
James will bring professionalism, expertise and energy to a training cohort which already contains the incredible talents of multiple Hong Kong championship winners John Size, Caspar Fownes and David Hayes along with homegrown champion horsemen such as Tony Cruz, Francis Lui, Frankie Lor, Ricky Yiu and Dennis Yip and also Danny Shum, Pierre Ng, Cody Mo and Chris So.
By exposing aspiring young Hong Kong talents to the collective and individual skill sets of these amazing trainers, we are laying the foundations for future generations and creating career pathways for our youth to follow as potential future trainers or assistant trainers.
I welcome James to Hong Kong and wish him all the best for the future.
As the countdown continues to next week’s Royal Ascot meeting, which is one of the global racing highlights of the year, our World Pool operation covers two races from Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, Australia today (Saturday, 14 June).
The G1 Stradbroke Handicap is carded as S1-1 and will be run over 1400m at 1.57pm.
The pace will be good with several runners drawn wide in the 18-horse field looking to go forward. THE INFLICTOR (Cejay Graham), ROTHFIRE (Craig Williams), FRONT PAGE (Damien Thornton), ROBUSTO (Kerrin McEvoy) and SPICY MARTINI (Robbie Dolan) should all be prominent.
WAR MACHINE (Tim Clark) easily won the G3 BRC Sprint (1350m) on 24 May and he is a win and place chance for Ben, Will & JD Hayes.
PRIVATE EYE (Nash Rawiller) resumes here and looked good winning a trial last week. He is a place chance along with GOLDEN MILE (Jason Collett) for James Cummings along with SPICY MARTINI.
ROTHFIRE, PUNCH LANE (Rachel King), THE INSTRUCTOR (Jett Stanley) and RISE AT DAWN (Declan Bates) also have claims.
At Sha Tin today, the feature race is the Class 2 HKU Business School And Faculty Of Engineering Handicap, which is carded as Race 8 and run over 1200m at 7.35pm for prizemoney of HK$2.84 million.
With the forecast for more rain, I would advise closely monitoring the track condition which is currently Good.
The pace will be good with CALL ME GLORIOUS (Andrea Atzeni) and BOTTOMUPTOGETHER (Zac Purton) pressing forward while WUNDERBAR (Hugh Bowman), HARMONY N BLESSED (Karis Teetan) and WHIZZ KID (Alexis Badel) should be prominent.
BOTTOMUPTOGETHER led throughout on the dirt over 1200m on 20 April and then sat outside the leader and fought hard in the straight but couldn’t reel in LADY’S CHOICE over this course and distance on 10 May. BOTTOMUPTOGETHER has been kept up to the mark with an easy trial win and he is my win and place selection.
RAGING BLIZZARD has not raced since 26 February when he finished fourth place behind SON PAK FU over 1200m at Happy Valley. RAGING BLIZZARD has been at Conghua since and has had three trials in preparation for his return to racing, winning his most recent trial on Monday. RAGING BLIZZARD has won twice over this course and distance this season and is a place chance.
WUNDERBAR was not 100% fit after having a long break from racing when he loomed to challenge in the straight but didn’t finish off, running eighth to LADY’S CHOICE on 10 May. WUNDERBAR has been at Conghua since and has improved in fitness. He has drawn well in gate one and can improve sharply, especially if the conditions become soft. He is a place chance.
CALL ME GLORIOUS won last start, fighting on gamely to hold off AHREN and RIGHTEOUS ARION over this trip on 10 May. CALL ME GLORIOUS returns from Conghua and rises in class. He is also a place chance with only 115lb.
Several other runners have claims, including TOMODACHI KOKOROE (Luke Ferraris) and HARMONY N BLESSED.
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