Ka Ying Rising, Voyage Bubble and Cap Ferrat highlight Hong Kong’s selected runners for FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday, 27 April, when the trio faces an imposing international contingent from Australia, France, New Zealand, Japan, Great Britain and Bahrain, spearheaded by Group 1 winners Mr Brightside, Goliath and El Vencedor.
Competing for a record HK$74 million in prize money across the HK$28 million Gr1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), HK$24 million Gr1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$22 million Gr1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), FWD Champions Day’s three Group 1 features include 20 individual Group 1 winners among 46 selected runners.
Ka Ying Rising is the world’s best sprinter (Pic – HKJC)
David Hayes’ sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising – Sha Tin’s current 1200m track record holder (1m 07.20s) – chases a fourth Group 1 win in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize and with that success a HK$5 million Speed Series bonus after victories in the first two legs of the three-race challenge this season: HK$13 million Gr1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and HK$13 million Gr1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Ranked the highest-rated sprinter in the world, four-year-old Ka Ying Rising’s 11 consecutive successes position him third behind two Hong Kong racing legends for the most wins in a row in the city: Silent Witness (17) and Golden Sixty (16).
Lucky Sweynesse will make his first start this season in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, while Helios Express, California Spangle, Victor The Winner, Invincible Sage, Lucky With You, Beauty Waves, Magic Control and Copartner Prance bolster the home side’s defence against a Japanese quartet led by Group 1 winners Satono Reve and Lugal, as well as Danon McKinley and A Shin Fencer.
Voyage Bubble is owned by the Sunshine And Moonlight Syndicate (Pic – HKJC)
Voyage Bubble is Hong Kong’s dominant miler and Ricky Yiu’s star galloper will also seek a fourth Group 1 triumph this season after wins in the HK$36 million Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$13 million Gr1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and HK$13 million Gr1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m). He will vie with nine-time Australian Group 1 winner Mr Brightside, Japan’s Gaia Force, Great Britain’s Lake Forest and Bahrain’s Goemon.
Royal Patronage also ships from Australia, where he won the Gr1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) last month before finishing a close second in the Grr1 Doncaster Mile Handicap (1600m) on 5 April for co-trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
My Wish won the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and placed second in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m). Mark Newnham’s four-year-old talent posted an extraordinary final 400m (21.39s) in the BMW Hong Kong Derby in March – the fastest on record over 2000m – behind Cap Ferrat. Fellow Hong Kong gallopers Galaxy Patch, Beauty Joy, Chancheng Glory, Happy Together, Red Lion, Sunlight Power and 2024 FWD Champions Mile winner Beauty Eternal also feature.
The fourth highest-rated horse in the world in 2024, Goliath will add a fourth jurisdiction to his record as Resolute Racing’s global campaigner contests the FWD QEII Cup. The German-bred – trained by Francis-Henri Graffard – won the 2024 Gr1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) ahead of Bluestocking, Rebel’s Romance, Sunway, Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg and Dubai Honour.
Japan is triple-handed in the FWD QEII Cup with three Group 1 placegetters at Sha Tin: Prognosis, Liberty Island and Tastiera.
Prognosis (left) has placed twice at Group 1 level in Hong Kong (Pic – HKJC)
Prognosis ran second to Romantic Warrior in the 2023 and 2024 runnings of the FWD QEII Cup and, with Hong Kong’s champion absent this year, will be hoping to snare a first top-level success as a reward for consistency. 2023 Japanese Triple Tiara champion Liberty Island and also Tastiera, second and third to Romantic Warrior in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup last December, both return in search of Sha Tin glory.
Four-time Group 1 winner El Vencedor is New Zealand racing’s standout star having won his last three starts in Group 1s: 2025 Gr1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), 2025 Gr1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and 2025 Gr1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m). Stephen Marsh’s gun six-year-old is aiming to secure a first FWD QEII Cup win for New Zealand.
Four-time Group 1 victor Dubai Honour won the Gr1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) in Australia at the start of April and he ventures back to Hong Kong for a fifth time. William Haggas’ well-travelled racing hero was third in the 2023 FWD QEII Cup and second in December’s HK$24 million Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) to Giavellotto. Dubai Honour races in Saturday’s (12 April) G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick.
Seven of the 14 runners in the FWD QEII Cup are from overseas, including Bahrain’s Calif.
Hong Kong’s FWD QEII Cup contingent includes BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat and Hong Kong Classic Cup hero Rubylot. Cap Ferrat is aiming to join Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Ambitious Dragon (2011), Designs On Rome (2014), Werther (2016) and Romantic Warrior (2022) by completing the Derby-QEII Cup double in the same season.
Winner of the HK$5.35 million Gr2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) last month, Straight Arron is joined by fellow Hong Kong-trained runners Ensued, Winning Dragon, Moments In Time and La City Blanche also feature in the FWD QEII Cup.
Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “FWD Champions Day is one of the most preeminent fixtures on world racing’s calendar. We are delighted to have world-class representation from overseas and Hong Kong at our spring flagship meeting. With 16 visitors from around the world, including Mr Brightside and Goliath, the might of Hong Kong’s team will be tested across the three Group 1 features.
“From Hong Kong’s perspective, we can’t wait to see Ka Ying Rising step out. David Hayes’ exceptional sprinter has won his last 11 races, and adds an increasing layer of excitement this year, while Voyage Bubble has emerged and officially stamped his claim as our premier miler and middle-distance galloper – especially in Romantic Warrior’s absence in 2025. As well, our exciting four-year-olds – My Wish, Rubylot and Cap Ferrat – take on established stars in the FWD Champions Mile and FWD QEII Cup. FWD Champions Day is firmly established as one of world’s premier racing events and this year promises to be no exception.”
Standby starters are as follows: Gorgeous Win (Chairman’s Sprint Prize), Mugen and The Golden Scenery (FWD Champions Mile) and Five G Patch (FWD QEII Cup).
