Author Archives: KH Lau

Hong Kong’s status as a global leader in thoroughbred racing is built on several factors – integrity, quality of horses, trainers and jockeys, the support and passion of Hong Kong’s owners and the enthusiasm of racing fans both locally and across the world.  For the past 50 years, the Apprentice Jockeys’ School (AJS) has played…

A quick glance at the honour roll of the HK$12 million Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) serves as a timely reminder of why the final Group 1 contest of the Hong Kong season is so revered.  With a history stretching back to 1870, the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup has been won…

When John Size created more history at Happy Valley on Wednesday night by becoming only the second trainer to prepare 1,400 winners in Hong Kong, the least surprising aspect of the occasion was how quickly John disappeared from the limelight.   No sooner had Seizing The Moment left the winners’ enclosure than John was back to…

Sustained excellence is a quality shared by Tony Cruz and John Size and, by a quirk of fate, two of Hong Kong’s most decorated racing figures are bearing down on another significant racing milestone almost locked in unison.  Tony (1,398 career wins) and John (1,397) trained a treble and double, respectively, on Wednesday night to…

There has been an unmistakable sense of anticipation this week ahead of FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday week (24 April) when Hong Kong racing parades its elite horses, jockeys and trainers to a global audience. With HK$65 million in prize money spread across a trio of Group 1s – the FWD QEII…

World-class competition has long been a trademark of Hong Kong racing and, as we approach the fourth quarter of another remarkable season, a cursory glance at the trainers’ and jockeys’ championships provides a reminder of what it takes to succeed in this extraordinary city. After 556 races across 59 of 88 scheduled meetings, the trainers’…

A cursory examination of the BMW Hong Kong Derby honour roll is all that is required to provide a sense of what might unfold at Sha Tin tomorrow.   A Classic in terms of both Hong Kong and international racing, the BMW Hong Kong Derby’s promotional slogan – “Once In A Lifetime Glory” – remains as…

With under three weeks until one of the highlights of our season, the BMW Hong Kong Derby scenario looks as intriguing as ever after a spectacular renewal of the Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin last Sunday.  While honours deservedly rested with California Spangle, Tony Cruz and Zac Purton after the Hong Kong Classic…

With just under a month to the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), calculations for the HK$24 million Classic are likely to become much clearer at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon. The obvious starting point is the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) where all 14 runners hold entries for the BMW Hong Kong Derby…

“Patience is a virtue” is an adage which has long applied to horseracing for and, at Sha Tin last Sunday, there was more evidence that good things come to those who wait.  As we saw with both Russian Emperor and Golden Sixty in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), yielding track conditions –…