Hong Kong’s racing elite delivered a resounding statement on the world stage as Ka Ying Rising, My Wish and Romantic Warrior completed a clean sweep of the three Group 1 features on FWD Champions Day, prompting Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges to hail the meeting as one of the finest ever staged in the city.
With homegrown stars repelling top-class international challengers in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), Champions Mile (1600m) and QEII Cup (2000m), the Sha Tin showcase reinforced Hong Kong’s position at the summit of global racing.
“I believe this was one of the best – if not the best – race meetings ever in Hong Kong,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said, reflecting on a day marked by both elite performance and international depth.
He paid tribute to visiting connections and participants who contributed to the occasion, describing the sporting standard as “nearly impossible to exceed,” while also acknowledging the role of strong partnerships in elevating the event’s global stature.
At the heart of the spectacle was Ka Ying Rising, whose commanding four-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize confirmed his dominance among the world’s leading sprinters. The performance not only secured the third leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series but also extended his unbeaten run to 20, achieved with striking authority and a record-breaking time over Sha Tin’s 1200 metres.
Engelbrecht-Bresges was unequivocal in his praise. “Ka Ying Rising is by far the best horse in the sprinting world that we’ve ever seen,” he said, highlighting the colt’s effortless superiority against high-calibre opposition, including Japan’s Satono Reve.
The meeting’s middle-distance centrepiece, the QEII Cup, saw Romantic Warrior further cement his legacy with a fourth triumph in the race. Already established as one of Hong Kong’s modern greats, his latest success adds weight to a potential Triple Crown bid next month and strengthens the race’s claim to end the year among the highest-rated contests globally.
Completing the trio of headline victories, My Wish provided a defining moment in the Champions Mile, securing a breakthrough Group 1 success for trainer Mark Newnham. The win signalled not only the gelding’s arrival at the highest level but also the continued rise of Hong Kong’s emerging talent pool.
Across the three features, the finishing order reflected both class and composure, with Hong Kong’s representatives consistently asserting control in the decisive stages against seasoned international rivals.
Hong Kong FWD Champions Day 2026 continued to underline the jurisdiction’s depth, blending established champions with rising stars in front of a vibrant Sha Tin crowd.
Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Racing, Andrew Harding, emphasised the importance of maintaining world-class standards on such occasions. “When we stage these days, the international quality is absolutely key,” he said. “We want to provide excellent racing. Our fans deserve that and we ought to deliver it to them.”
The success of Hong Kong FWD Champions Day 2026 once again demonstrated the city’s ability to host racing at the highest level, combining competitive depth, international participation and elite equine performance in a single, compelling showcase.
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