A competitive evening under the floodlights at Happy Valley on Wednesday (3 June) delivered a significant shift in the 2025/26 Hong Kong trainers’ championship battle, with momentum firmly swinging in favour of a familiar name as the season approaches its closing stretch.
Hong Kong racing results Happy Valley night report.
The focus keyword for this report is “Hong Kong racing results Happy Valley”.
Four-time champion trainer Caspar Fownes produced a timely double to move three wins clear at the top of the standings with 11 meetings remaining, reinforcing his late-season surge in front of a lively midweek crowd.
Partnering again with Joao Moreira, Fownes struck first with Family Fortune in the Class 5 Mount Butler Handicap over 1650m, before The Heir delivered in the Class 4 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap over 1200m. The pair of victories lifted his season tally at the city circuit to 41, surpassing his own previous best set more than a decade ago.
That consistency has carried Fownes to 60 wins overall this season, placing him three clear of Danny Shum on 57, with Mark Newnham close behind on 56, followed by Francis Lui (50), David Hayes (49) and John Size (47).
Speaking after his successful night, Fownes highlighted the satisfaction of seeing his stable deliver at a crucial stage of the campaign, noting the significance of setting a new personal benchmark at his home track while maintaining focus on the final stretch of the season.
There was equal praise for Moreira, whose return to full-time riding in Hong Kong has added notable momentum to the yard’s form. The Brazilian jockey has already partnered multiple winners for the stable since April, with both combinations again proving decisive on the night.
Moreira reflected on the strong partnership, crediting the wider team effort behind the results and emphasising how favourable early positioning during the races played a key role in the outcome, particularly around the tight turning layout of Happy Valley.
Elsewhere on the card, Shum remained firmly in contention after success with Without Compare in the Class 3 Violet Hill Handicap over 1650m under Jerry Chau, keeping the pressure on at the top end of the standings.
Newnham briefly moved into second overall earlier in the evening following a front-running win with Power Koepp in the Class 3 Shouson Hill Handicap over 1200m under Alexis Badel, before Shum’s response in the later contest reshaped the leaderboard once again.
Badel enjoyed a productive evening, adding another win aboard Forerunner in the second section of the Class 4 Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap, a performance that underlined the competitive depth across the programme.
A milestone moment belonged to Brenton Avdulla, who recorded his 100th win in Hong Kong aboard the John Size-trained Take Action in the Class 4 Middle Gap Handicap over 1650m. Timing his run strongly down the straight, Avdulla produced a composed finish to secure a landmark achievement in his city riding career.
Further success was shared across multiple stables, including a double for trainer David Eustace, who continued his strong recent run with wins from Majestic Delight and Silvery Breeze, while Zac Purton also added to the evening’s winning list.
As the season heads into its decisive phase, attention now turns to Sha Tin on Sunday (7 June), where the opening fixture of the Summer Series is set to continue the momentum of a tightly contested campaign.
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