The Hong Kong racing season is moving into its decisive phase, and the fight for the trainers’ championship is rapidly becoming one of the most compelling stories of the campaign. With the season due to conclude on 15 July, the premiership remains remarkably open, with six trainers still firmly within striking distance after 69 meetings.
Mark Newnham currently holds the advantage with 52 victories, but the pressure is increasing with every meeting. Caspar Fownes and Danny Shum sit just one winner behind on 51, while David Hayes remains a serious contender with 48 successes. Multiple-time champion John Size continues to lurk ominously on 44 wins, and reigning champion Francis Lui has kept himself firmly in touch with 45 winners.
The closeness of the standings has created a level of intrigue rarely seen so late in the Hong Kong racing season. Every Sha Tin and Happy Valley fixture now carries added significance, with momentum capable of shifting dramatically from one meeting to the next.
Only last season, the veteran trainer produced one of the most memorable late-season charges in recent Hong Kong racing history. Trailing Pierre Ng deep into the campaign, Lui stormed home with four wins from the final five races of the season to snatch the trainers’ premiership by a single victory on the final day.
That dramatic success highlighted both Lui’s experience and his ability to keep his stable firing when pressure is at its greatest. Yet even with that recent memory still fresh, the trainer believes this year’s challenge is considerably tougher.
“Last time I was only in competition with Pierre, but this time as many as five other trainers can win it,” Lui said.
“They are all so close and I’m sure they will have plenty of winners.
“Of course, I will try hard to win my second premiership but it won’t be easy.”
Unlike some of his rivals, Lui did not explode from the starting gates this season. His stable endured a relatively quiet beginning before gradually building momentum through October and November. While December proved less productive, the stable rebounded strongly after the turn of the year.
January delivered 10 winners for Lui, followed by another eight victories in February and a further 10 in March as his stable emerged as a genuine premiership threat once again. The consistency of that period allowed Lui to close the gap on the leading trainers and place himself firmly among the contenders entering the final quarter of the season.
April, however, presented a sterner challenge. Winners became harder to find and rivals continued to maintain their own strong strike rates. Nevertheless, Lui’s stable showed encouraging signs of renewed momentum at Sha Tin last Sunday when Baby Sakura and Turquoise Velocity captured the final two races on the programme.
Those victories may yet prove significant in the broader context of the Hong Kong trainers’ championship race, particularly as several of Lui’s horses appear capable of adding more wins before the campaign concludes.
Among the most exciting is the unbeaten Hot Delight, who has quickly developed into one of the stable’s standout performers. The lightly raced sprinter has won all three of his starts and now attempts to maintain his perfect record in Saturday’s Class 2 Sai Wan Shan Handicap over 1200 metres at Sha Tin.
A fourth consecutive success would further strengthen Lui’s title hopes and underline the potential of a horse still open to significant improvement.
Gold Patch has also emerged as an important contributor for the stable in recent weeks. The progressive galloper heads into Saturday’s Class 3 Lei Yue Mun Park Handicap chasing a hat-trick after producing a pair of impressive victories.
Amazing Partners is another horse arriving in strong recent form for Lui, with the gelding set to line up in the Class 3 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Handicap over 1600 metres. In a championship race where every winner matters, dependable in-form runners such as these could become decisive during the closing months of the season.
Lui will also unveil several newcomers at Sha Tin, including Almighty Warrior, Spirited Steed and Winalot. While debutants can often require experience before showing their best, strong performances from any of the trio would provide an additional boost for the stable at a critical stage of the campaign.
The Hong Kong trainers’ championship battle is also being shaped by the strength and depth of the opposition. Newnham has maintained excellent consistency throughout the season, while Fownes and Shum continue to apply pressure near the top of the standings. Hayes remains within range, and few in Hong Kong racing would dismiss the enduring threat posed by the vastly experienced John Size.
“I have quite a few horses who can win more races but I can’t say that I am confident of winning the premiership,” Lui added.
“It’s very close. It all depends on how they run. I will take it step by step. To have so many trainers fighting it out is great competition.”
With major meetings still ahead and only a handful of victories separating the leading stables, the Hong Kong trainers’ championship appears destined for another tense and dramatic conclusion.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to racebuzz