Few Hong Kong race meetings pass without a significant milestone. This season alone, Danny Shum (700 wins), Paul O’Sullivan (500), Karis Teetan (500) and David Hayes (500) have all reached important career markers.
On Sunday at Happy Valley, John Size’s treble saw him quietly overtake Tony Cruz to become the leading active trainer in Hong Kong for the first time in his decorated career. John’s three winners took him to 1377 career victories in Hong Kong, one more than Tony.
To put John’s achievement in context – and, for that matter, Tony’s – only John Moore (1735) has trained more winners in Hong Kong.
One of the traits shared by all these elite handlers is stunning consistency.
Tony has finished in the top five of the trainers’ championship in 24 of his 25 seasons, winning the title twice and currently sits in third place with 31 wins to trail only John (47) and Frankie Lor (43) as we officially reach the halfway mark of the season at Happy Valley with the 44th meeting on Wednesday night.
After double-figure hauls of winners in November, December and January, plus a further six winners from just two February meetings, John is on target to reach – or better – the record he set in 2016/17 for the most wins in a season with 94 victories.
Tony’s 1376 career wins have come from 13,267 starters since the start of the 1996/97 season at a winning strike rate of 10.4 percent. John’s 1377 victories have come from 9,761 starters since the start of the 2001/2002 season at a strike rate of 14.1 percent.
Trebles to John and Danny Shum aside, the most imposing performance at the weekend was Zac Purton’s effort to log five wins, three seconds and two thirds from 10 rides to cut Joao Moreira’s lead in the jockeys’ championship to 13 – 61 to 74.
Zac’s determination and resilience to regain full fitness after suffering bone fractures in his accident in December underlines why he has been able to compete at the top level for so long.
The Class 3 Victoria Park Handicap is the final race of our Wednesday meeting and there are a number of horses with a winning chance in the 1650 metre test. The pace will be good and Keith Yeung, as rider of The Anomaly, and Karis Teetan, as jockey of Red Majesty, will both have to go forward to avoid being caught wide from their barrier gates of 12 and 11, respectively. They will be joined Everyone’s Delight with Alexis Badel and World Famous with Victor Wong.
Total Power comes off a big win in Class 4 with blinkers back on and now gets in with a light weight using the claim of jockey Alfred Chan as he steps up in grade. He will appreciate the good pace and figures to get a nice run from just worse than midfield. I make him a place chance in his current form.
Gorytus is a last-start winner at the class, course and distance and has found good form since making the move to Happy Valley. He will put in a good run coming from the back and is a win and a place chance with Derek Leung. A win here would put him on solid footing for the Classic Cup and the BMW Hong Kong Derby.
Amazing One Plus gets the services of Jerry Chau and his three-pound claim. He has found his best form over this course and distance and is a place chance from midfield along with Red Majesty, which has the best chance of the horses that will establish the running.
Invincible Missile will come with a strong run from the back and is a place chance. Invincible Missile will be ridden by Harry Bentley, who has established himself in Hong Kong with a win percentage of 6.1% and place percentage of 25.8%.
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