Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Yeung’s long shot double
February 9 was a horrid day at Sha Tin with two falls injuring four jockeys, including Keith Yeung who sustained extensive bruising which meant he missed two meetings. On Sunday, he rode his first winners since the fall. “Perfect,” Yeung told scmp.com.
“I’m really, really grateful, especially after the fall. It’s always good to get the winners.” He won on the debutant 3-year-old Mount Everest (Exceed And Excel) and outsider 3-year-old gelding The Auspicious (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) who paid $132 on the tote to become the season’s longest winner so far.
I’ve been working (Mount Everest) ever since he came to Hong Kong and I’m super grateful for owner Mr Kendrick Wong’s continuous support. He’s been very, very good to me and I can’t thank him enough. (Mount Everest) is a lovely, big horse and I’ve always felt he’s had potential. He’s very mature – he was very calm and settled from the first day he was in Hong Kong, so I always felt like he would acclimatise really well here.
“I’ve been working (Mount Everest) ever since he came to Hong Kong and I’m super grateful for owner Mr Kendrick Wong’s continuous support. He’s been very, very good to me and I can’t thank him enough.” - Keith Yeung
“It was unfortunate with the barrier today, but I was just hoping I’d give him a smooth run. That’s why I tried to settle him in behind and bring him out in the straight so he can just build. I thought it was a dead heat, but he got the job done.”
Passed in by Newgate Farm at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Mount Everest is by Exceed And Excel who retired from stud duties after the 2023 breeding season. Mount Everest is the third foal and first winner for Listed Mick Dittman Plate winner Divine Centuri (I Am Invincible) who is a half-sister to Mercedes (Snitzel), the dam of recent G3 Liverpool City Cup winner Iowna Merc (Winning Rupert), while this season’s exciting juvenile G2 Skyline Stakes winner Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is also in this family.
Gallery: Keith Yeung's winning horses, images courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“(The Auspicious) is only a 3-year-old. He’s still very young and immature. He’s doing quite a few things wrong, but he benefited from the pace of the race today and the track bias, so I was very fortunate to get the winner for Me Tsui.”
Trained by Me Tsui, The Auspicious hadn’t achieved better than ninth in his first five starts. He was sold by Riversdale and Ashleigh Thoroughbreds for $25,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale to Enigma Farm. He is the fourth foal and second winner for Holly Holy (NZ) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who won 10 races including one in Brisbane. The Auspicious’ fourth dam, Anna’s Choice (NZ) (Vice Regal {NZ}) is the dam of G1 NZ Derby winner Hades (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Zac Purton is still recovering from a fractured toe, Vincent Ho has head and minor spinal injuries, and Angus Chung fractured a facial bone.
Size is sizing up a fourth Derby
Trainer John Size has three Hong Kong Derby wins, and looks to have another strong chance after the thrilling win by Bundle Award (Shamus Award) on Sunday. “He did very well. He seems to settle and relax and didn’t seem to waste any energy. He had plenty of resources left for the finish,” Size told hkjc.com.
John Size | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“You couldn’t compare the two days (today and last start). I think that he drew well last start – he drew gate one. Maybe that was no help to him. Anyway, today he showed us what he wanted.” The Listed Hong Kong Derby field will be announced on Friday, March 14 and the Derby runs on March 23. With the win, Bundle Award should make the field.
Originally named Prince Prawn, he was third on debut in Australia, before winning three in succession and was bought privately by Hong Kong owner Colin Lo. In Hong Kong, he has won two of his five starts. Bundle Award was the fourth top lot of the 2022 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, selling for $110,000 to John Foote Bloodstock. He was sold by Alva Stud, and is the fifth foal and fourth winner for Ecosse (West Quest {USA}) who has also produced Hong Kong winner Pretty Queen Prawn (Magnus). Ecosse is a full sister to Listed Bow Mistress Trophy-placed Aprilia.
Wong’s outstanding start
Apprentice jockey Britney Wong leads the All Weather jockey’s championship for the season with seven wins after a double on Sunday aboard David Hall-trained 4-year-old gelding Natural High (Power {GB}) and Manfred Man-trained Self Improvement (Deep Field). “It’s great. I had two doubles when I was in Australia but they were both non-TAB meetings, so this feels fantastic,” Wong told hkjc.com.
“Whether it’s turf or dirt, I’ll go for it and it’s good that I have one (surface) that works in a particular way, so I’m very happy.” She has 12 wins this season and won 50 races in Australia prior to coming to Hong Kong.
Britney Wong | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Natural High was unbeaten in two starts at the Gold Coast, when named Orligado, before heading to Hong Kong where this was his first win in the region from nine starts. He was sold by Oaklands Stud for $24,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale to Upper Bloodstock.
Self Improvement was another who raced in Australia first, winning two of his four starts when named Taurids, and now has six wins from his 28 career starts. A $380,000 purchase by Hawkes Racing from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, he was on-sold via Inglis Digital in January 2023 for $105,000 to KK Bloodstock, and he now has earnings over HK $7.5 million (AU$1.5 million).
I Am Invincible gelding tops International Sale
Held on Friday night, the 2025 Hong Kong International Sale showcased 15 lots, with six of the original 21 entries withdrawn. The sale average was HK$3.006 million (AU$625,000) (down 9 per cent), while the gross was HK$45.1 million (AU$9.2 million) (down 2.6 per cent). The median dropped to HK$2.6 million (AU$530,000) (down 18.8 per cent).
Danny Rolston, executive manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services, HKJC, said, “We've put some really nice horses up, we were really selective on the final group that we offered to the market.
Lot 12 - I Am Invincible x Subsequent (gelding) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“As you would know from the withdrawal list, we took out the horses that weren't suitable for sale right at this point–some of those will be made available for sale at a later stage–but what we did offer here tonight are horses that we have a lot of confidence in. Some of the horses at the lower end of the market this year, we're absolutely positive that there's some great value in hand.
“I think the market has dictated that horses aren't worth the same as what they perhaps were two years ago and we're confident that we've released some really nice horses into the market for our permit holders and in another 12 months we'll be telling more stories like Markwin and New Future Folks and permit holders have come to the international sale and they've actually got value and they've been able to buy horses that are right here and ready to train and have a pretty good chance of going and winning a race in their first 12 months and being a chance in their 4-year-old season.”
The sale topper was an I Am Invincible gelding who sold for HK$5 million (AU$1 million) to Philip Liu. Sold as Lot 12, he is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Summer Passage (Snitzel).
| 12 | I Am Invincible | Subsequent (Encosta De Lago) | $ 5,000,000 | $ 1,000,000 |
| 5 | So You Think (NZ) | Andresa (Fastnet Rock) | $ 4,600,000 | $ 938,000 |
| 15 | Siyouni (Fr) | Playing Trix (GB) (War Front {USA}) | $ 4,000,000 | $ 815,000 |
| 17 | Lope De Vega (Ire) | Magical Fire (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) | $ 4,000,000 | $ 815,000 |
| 6 | Deep Field | The Soloist (Smart Missile) | $ 3,600,000 | $ 734,000 |
| 9 | No Nay Never (USA) | Al Joza (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) | $ 3,200,000 | $ 652,000 |
| 14 | Smart Missile | Porcellanus (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) | $ 3,200,000 | $ 652,000 |
| 1 | Toronado (Ire) | Art Series (Sebring) | $ 2,600,000 | $ 530,000 |
| 4 | Toronado (Ire) | In Vero We Trust (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) | $ 2,600,000 | $ 530,000 |
| 8 | Darci Brahma (NZ) | Tolgarth (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) | $ 2,600,000 | $ 530,000 |
| 18 | Deep Field | Via Veneto (All Too Hard) | $ 2,600,000 | $ 530,000 |
| 7 | Kitten's Joy (USA) | La Australiana (USA) (Australia {GB}) | $ 2,500,000 | $ 510,000 |
| 16 | Per Incanto (USA) | Makkura (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) | $ 2,000,000 | $ 408,000 |
| 10 | El Roca | Test My Resolve (Testa Rossa) | $ 1,400,000 | $ 285,000 |
| 2 | Mehmas (Ire) | Minnaloushe (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) | $ 1,200,000 | $ 244,000 |
Table: 2025 Hong Kong International Sale results
Romantic Warrior to spell after Dubai
Trainer Danny Shum announced that his super star Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) would spell after the Dubai meeting, rather than press on to attempt a fourth win in the G1 QEII Cup on April 27. “I’m not 100 per cent sure but I can quite confidently tell you that after April 5 we will quarantine in Dubai and then come back to Hong Kong and stop racing until next season,” Shum told scmp.com.
“The Dubai Turf will be his last run of the season because it is too tricky otherwise. I’ve talked to the owner and we think we are better off giving him a break and waiting for next season. Going straight to Japan is too hard for him – Peter (Lau) and I agree that it’s too hard for him after a few months in Dubai and the travel to Saudi.”
Romantic Warrior (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
The world’s highest earning racehorse with over $35 million in earnings has won 18 of his 24 starts and was second to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) last start in the G1 Saudi Cup.
