The Year of the Snake will forever be etched in memory as one of the greatest in Hong Kong, China racing history with the extraordinary accomplishments of our equine heroes, champion trainers and jockeys and, as we welcome the Year of the Horse, it is timely to reflect on an incredible 12 months filled with amazing highlights.
The Year of the Snake will be remembered for the towering achievements of our global champions KA YING RISING and ROMANTIC WARRIOR, the enduring excellence of 13-time champion trainer John Size and eight-time champion jockey Zac Purton and the immense successes of our flagship racedays – LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, FWD Champions Day and the BMW Hong Kong Derby.
Fittingly, as we usher in the Year of the Horse, Hong Kong’s appreciation and gratitude for the horse – a magnificent animal with a long and celebrated history in our city – has never been greater with the presence of KA YING RISING, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE, Hong Kong’s ‘Heavenly Horses Kings’.
It is an incredible feat for Hong Kong, with its horse population of 1,300 or only 0.8% of the global thoroughbred population, to have the world’s best sprinter and joint second-best horse in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings in KA YING RISING, while ROMANTIC WARRIOR is one of the world’s premier middle-distance gallopers and VOYAGE BUBBLE is not only a world-class miler, but winner of Hong Kong’s elusive Triple Crown.
KA YING RISING’s posted a perfect Year of the Snake, maintaining a now record-equalling unbeaten streak that might be extended and take on a historic dimension of its own this coming Sunday (22 February) in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin – which is, appropriately, the first Hong Kong Group 1 contest in the Year of the Horse.
Should KA YING RISING stretch his imposing winning sequence to 18 for the most victories by a Hong Kong-trained horse, it will be the perfect way to celebrate the start of an exciting and uplifting year-long celebration of the horse.
As the first foreign trained winner of the G1 The Everest (1200m), the world’s richest turf race, and holder of Sha Tin’s 1200m course record, KA YING RISING embodies the qualities so prized in both horse and human – resilience, strength and perseverance – and he is a credit to the Ka Ying Syndicate, David Hayes and Zac Purton.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR exhibits the same traits and underlines the deep connection between human and horse with his remarkable longevity and abiding greatness. His inspiring comeback from injury was crowned with a record-extending fourth victory in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) in December.
As the earner of a world-record HK$247.3 million in prizemoney, ROMANTIC WARRIOR continues to perform at the peak of his powers with an unmatched 12 Group 1 victories by a Hong Kong horse and has the rare distinction of having triumphed at the elite level in four different racing jurisdictions.
He remains an ornament to international racing for owner Mr Peter Lau, Danny Shum and James McDonald and it is great that this wonderful racehorse will remain in Hong Kong this season to bid for the Triple Crown, having already claimed the first leg in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m).
Apart from the incredibly versatile and talented VOYAGE BUBBLE, Hong Kong is blessed to have many other outstanding established horses in its ranks, while this season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series promises to thrust several emerging talents to the forefront over the next five weeks and beyond.
Hong Kong officially welcomes the Year of the Horse tomorrow night (Tuesday, 17 February) with a series of events starting with the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, which will include a spectacular float themed “Riding High Together in the Year of the Horse” and featuring three horses which symbolise the vitality, prosperity and forward-looking spirit traditionally associated with the Year of the Horse.
Hong Kong Jockey Club Equestrian Team rider and Asian Championship medallist Patrick Lam, together with Club Apprentice Jockey Britney Wong, will ride on the float demonstrating Hong Kong’s long and profound connection with the horse.
On Wednesday night (18 February), the “Prosperity Gallops Across Hong Kong” Year of the Horse Fireworks Display, which is exclusively sponsored by the Club, will light up Victoria Harbour. The 23-minute spectacle, with 31,888 pyrotechnic shells, is divided into eight scenes and will feature horse elements and auspicious symbols to welcome in the new year.
And on Thursday afternoon (19 February), Sha Tin hosts 2026 Year of the Horse Raceday with a programme of themed activities and world-class feature races showcasing the talents of outstanding trainers such as John Size, Caspar Fownes – who won his 1,200th race in Hong Kong on Saturday (14 February) – David Hayes, Danny Shum, Francis Lui, Frankie Lor, Ricky Yiu and Mark Newnham, among others.
Attendees can also marvel at the athleticism and skill of champions such as Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman, Andrea Atzeni, Vincent Ho, Jerry Chau and fast-rising Irishman Dylan Browne McMonagle, who showcased his tremendous talent with victory on SONS AND LOVERS at the Saudi Cup meeting on Saturday night (14 February).
Year of the Horse Raceday is part the Club’s comprehensive Year of the Horse campaign, which celebrates the close bond between horses and humans, and the contribution horse racing makes to Hong Kong.
Racing not only remains the city’s favourite pastime, but is also a symbol of Hong Kong’s can-do spirit and stability under One Country Two Systems and, in the months ahead, many more events will be held in celebration of the Year of the Horse with the highlight being October’s relaunch of world-class racing, equestrian events and entertainment at the Club’s Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou.
This will be a significant milestone in the Club’s support for national equine industry development in the Greater Bay Area and beyond and underlines Hong’s Kong’s enterprise, ambition and ‘Can-do spirit’.
In closing, I would like to wish everyone Kung Hei Fat Choy for the Year of the Horse and I hope you can join us for the Chinese New Year Festivities.
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