Australian jockey Ethan Brown enjoyed the most rewarding day of his growing Hong Kong stint on Saturday, 13 June, producing a memorable treble at Sha Tin and achieving a personal ambition by partnering his first winner for champion trainer John Size.
Hong Kong racing results.
Brown, 26, was among the standout performers on the card, guiding Country Dancer to victory in the Class 5 Shearwater Handicap over 1200 metres before later teaming up with Size again aboard Endued in the Class 3 Spoonbill Handicap over 1600 metres. He completed his three-timer aboard Prestige Hall for trainer David Hall in the opening division of the Class 4 Swan Handicap.
The successful afternoon marked another significant step in Brown’s adaptation to racing in Hong Kong, where opportunities have steadily increased in recent weeks.
Speaking after the meeting, Brown admitted the scale of the achievement had not yet fully registered.
“It’s unreal, it hasn’t sunk in yet. I thought I came here with a good book of rides and often, when that’s the case, you tend to go average, but today’s been great,” Brown said.
The rider was particularly delighted to secure a breakthrough success for Size, one of Hong Kong racing’s most decorated trainers. Country Dancer produced a strong late challenge to deny Always Fluke and deliver the victory Brown had long hoped to achieve for the stable.
“As soon as I got off the horse, I said ‘I’ve always wanted to ride a winner for you’ and I couldn’t be happier to do it for him today,” Brown said.
The latest Hong Kong racing results also had significant implications for the fiercely contested 2025/26 trainers’ championship. With only eight meetings remaining this season, the title race remains wide open.
Francis Lui strengthened his position with a treble of his own. Meaningful Dragon captured the second division of the Swan Handicap under James Orman, while Superb Spirit impressed under Zac Purton in the Class 4 Anser Handicap. Baby Sakura completed Lui’s hat-trick with victory in the Class 3 Owl Handicap under Vincent Ho.
Despite moving closer to the championship leaders, Lui acknowledged the challenge ahead as he continues to chase the premiership.
“It’ll be difficult to win the premiership. Unless every day is three winners, it’ll be tough. You never know — of course, I will really try my best,” he said.
Superb Spirit emerged as one of the afternoon’s most promising performers. The three-year-old, by Zousain, showed an impressive turn of foot to score comfortably and is now being considered for next season’s prestigious Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
Purton was equally impressed with the youngster’s acceleration, while Lui believes the horse possesses considerable untapped potential.
Danny Shum also kept his championship aspirations alive when Forever Folks landed the Class 4 Flamingo Handicap over 1800 metres. The versatile seven-year-old continued his productive season by adding another surface and venue combination to his winning record.
Among the emerging talents on display, Jedi Spurs delivered perhaps the most visually striking performance of the day. Trained by David Hayes and ridden by Brenton Avdulla, the two-year-old powered to a four-and-a-half-length success in the Sunbird Plate for Griffins, stopping the clock in a sharp 55.81 seconds despite yielding ground conditions.
Hayes was enthusiastic about the colt’s future prospects after a debut performance that exceeded expectations.
“He was more impressive today than the barrier trials indicated. To run that time in these conditions, he might be very good,” Hayes said.
Another notable winner was Soleil Fighter, who secured his first Sha Tin triumph in the Class 2 Peacock Handicap over 1600 metres. Given a confident front-running ride by Nichola Yuen, the six-year-old continued his remarkable consistency and increased his career earnings to HK$16.9 million.
Formerly raced in Britain as Connemara Coast, Soleil Fighter has become one of the most dependable performers in Hayes’ stable.
The Hong Kong racing results from Sha Tin also featured PI Legend, who collected a HK$1.5 million PP Bonus with victory in the Class 3 Snipe Handicap on dirt for trainer Brett Crawford and jockey Karis Teetan. Mega Captain rounded off the winners by breaking through for a maiden success at his fourth start in the Class 4 Sand Martin Handicap under Purton for trainer Dennis Yip.
Attention now turns to next weekend’s programme, with Hong Kong racing returning on 21 June for two major Group 3 features — the Premier Cup Handicap over 1400 metres and the Premier Plate Handicap over 1800 metres — as both the trainers’ championship and season honours approach a thrilling conclusion.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to racebuzz .