As the Hong Kong racing season approaches its final stages, champion trainer John Size is aiming to add further black-type success to an already distinguished campaign when Sha Tin hosts the season’s last Pattern races on Sunday, 21 June.
The meeting features a Group 3 double-header comprising the Premier Cup Handicap (1400m) and Premier Plate Handicap (1800m), key attractions on an 11-race programme that forms part of the Summer Series and marks the 81st fixture of the season.
Sha Tin Premier Cup and Premier Plate 2026
Size enters the meeting in encouraging form. The 13-time Hong Kong champion trainer has enjoyed a productive run in recent weeks, recording four winners along with a string of placings across the last five race meetings, and he arrives at Sha Tin with two leading contenders in the feature contests.
The trainer will rely on the consistent Raging Blizzard in the Premier Cup Handicap, hoping the six-year-old can finally gain a deserved victory after a season marked by near misses.
Despite failing to win from 10 starts this term, the son of Per Incanto has rarely run a poor race. He has finished runner-up on four occasions and has not been outside the first six all season. His latest effort was arguably among his best, finishing a narrow second to Patch Of Stars in the Group 3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap over 1200 metres on 31 May while conceding a significant weight advantage to the winner.
Size believes the gelding continues to hold his form despite the demands of a long campaign.
Raging Blizzard will carry 134lb from barrier two with Brenton Avdulla aboard. While the trainer acknowledges that 1400 metres stretches the horse close to his distance limit, he remains optimistic that suitable race conditions could help secure a breakthrough success.
The Premier Plate Handicap presents another opportunity for Size, who saddles progressive four-year-old Nautical Force.
The British-bred chestnut made an immediate impression when winning on his Hong Kong debut over 1800 metres in April. Expectations were high when he stepped up to 2400 metres for the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap the following month, but the result proved disappointing.
Subsequent examinations revealed blood in the horse’s trachea after the race, which was run in difficult weather conditions. Size also suggested the assignment may simply have come too soon in the horse’s local career.
After a freshen-up and a pair of trials, connections are hopeful that a return to 1800 metres can bring about a much-improved performance in Sunday’s feature.
The Sha Tin Premier Cup and Premier Plate 2026 meeting will also see strong opposition emerge from the stable of Ricky Yiu.
Veteran performer Sunlight Power lines up in the Premier Plate carrying 131lb and will be partnered by Hugh Bowman. The experienced galloper has built a reputation for consistency at stakes level throughout the campaign and now attempts 1800 metres for only the second time in his 34-start career.
Bowman believes the distance could suit the seasoned runner, particularly in a field lacking some of Hong Kong’s elite middle-distance performers.
Yiu, meanwhile, has opted to trust his instincts regarding the trip, noting that recent performances have been encouraging. The trainer also expects the anticipated ground conditions to play to the horse’s strengths.
Beyond the two feature races, Sunday’s card offers a full afternoon of competition at Sha Tin. The programme begins with the Class 4 Ruby Handicap over 1000 metres at 4pm and concludes a meeting that could have important implications as trainers and jockeys seek to finish the season strongly.
With the Pattern race programme drawing to a close, the Sha Tin Premier Cup and Premier Plate 2026 meeting provides one final opportunity for established stars and emerging talents to make their mark before the curtain falls on another Hong Kong season.
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