An exciting host of 28 individual Group 1 winners headlines entries for FWD Champions Day on Sunday, 27 April at Sha Tin – all chasing a chance to compete for the record HK$74 million prize money on offer across three of world racing’s pre-eminent contests.
Representing owners from Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, France, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Bahrain and Qatar, 95 horses are vying for starts in the HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$22 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), Voyage Bubble, California Spangle, Galaxy Patch, Beauty Joy and Helios Express spearhead Hong Kong’s arsenal – along with Beauty Eternal and Invincible Sage, winners, respectively, of the FWD Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize last year.
The international contingent of 56 is headed by Group 1 winners Goliath, Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Royal Patronage, El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) and an intimidating 25-strong contingent from Japan, led by Liberty Island, Tastiera, Soul Rush, Satono Reve, Lugal, Gaia Force, Prognosis and Dura Erede.
Phenomenal talent Ka Ying Rising chases a fourth straight Group 1 in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Acclaimed as the world’s highest-rated sprinter recently, Ka Ying Rising is Sha Tin’s 1200m track record holder (1m 07.20s) and winner of his last 10 consecutive races.
Voyage Bubble has quickly asserted himself as the city’s premier miler. Ricky Yiu’s star horse will aim for a fourth consecutive Group 1 in the FWD Champions Mile after successes this season in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).
Hong Kong’s entry features 10 individual Group 1 winners. Second three times to Ka Ying Rising at Group 1 level, Helios Express will aim to emerge from his rival’s shadow and capture a maiden top-level crown in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, along with stablemate Howdeepisyourlove, who will contest the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) on 5 April.
A three-time placegetter on FWD Champions Day, California Spangle is eyeing a return to glory in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize next month as well as Beauty Eternal, who aims to defend his title and give trainer John Size a fifth triumph in the race after wins also with Electronic Unicorn (2003), Sight Winner (2009), Contentment (2017).
Six-time winner Goliath is becoming one of global racing’s great overseas campaigners as Francis-Henri Graffard’s gelding prepares to compete in his fourth jurisdiction in the FWD QEII Cup. Resolute Racing’s German-bred galloper won the 2024 G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) ahead of strong opposition including Bluestocking, Rebel’s Romance, Sunway, Auguste Rodin, Luxembourg and Dubai Honour.
Photo: supplied
Mr Brightside is one of Australia’s premier horses as a nine-time Group 1 winner, including victories in the 2022 and 2023 G1 Doncaster Mile (1600m), 2023 and 2024 G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), and 2024 and 2025 G1 Futurity Stakes (1400m). The seven-year-old fought out an exhilarating 2023 G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) with Romantic Warrior. He is entered in the FWD Champions Mile.
Royal Patronage brings fascinating form lines to Hong Kong having won in Great Britain, the United States of America and at Group 1 level in Australia, surprising in the G1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) this month for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott. The son of Wootton Bassett is entered for the FWD Champions Mile and FWD QEII Cup, holding a preference for the former.
El Vencedor is New Zealand racing’s current banner horse having won his last three starts – each at Group 1 level: 2025 G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), 2025 G1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and 2025 G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m). Stephen Marsh’s tough six-year-old is entered to run in the FWD QEII Cup.
A familiar fleet of Japanese entries is headlined by 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup second and third placings Liberty Island and Tastiera, respectively. Liberty Island is Japan’s outstanding 2023 Triple Tiara winner and she is the stablemate of two-time FWD QEII Cup runner-up Prognosis, who is also among Japan’s list of possible starters.
Group 1 performer Ho O Biscuits is chanced with his first start abroad in the FWD QEII Cup.
Third in the 2024 HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Noriyuki Hori’s Satono Reve holds an entry for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize along with 2024 G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) winner Lugal, Group 2 winner Danon Mckinley and Big Caesar.
Soul Rush was second to Voyage Bubble in the 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and Tatsue Ishikawa’s galloper will aim to go one better in the FWD Champions Mile. Soul Rush was also third to Romantic Warrior in the 2024 G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m), while fourth out of that race, Gaia Force, could also ship across for the FWD Champions Mile.
Ciaron Maher’s exciting sprinter Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) is entered to run in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, searching for a second elite level success after collecting last month’s G1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m). Maher has also entered Duke De Sessa – last year’s G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) hero – and Middle Earth for the FWD QEII Cup.
The Foxes ran his heart out for trainer Andrew Balding to grab fourth in the 2024 HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and the son of Churchill is plotted to return for another crack at international glory in Hong Kong.
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald have entered Lady Laguna, Ostraka, Port Lockroy and Fawkner Park, while William Haggas has also engaged four – led by the returning Dubai Honour as well as Group 1-placed and 2024 Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Lake Forest, Maljoom and Al Mubhir.
Dubai Honour has raced in Hong Kong four times, including a third in the 2023 FWD QEII Cup behind Romantic Warrior, while Maljoom is a dual Group 1 placegetter behind Charyn and Notable Speech.
Isivunguvungu is being prepared for the Al Quoz Sprint next month by trainer Graham Motion, who has entered the South African Group 1 winner for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
Bhupat Seemar from Dubai has entered Trafalgar Square in the FWD QEII Cup, while Bahrain has four entries – Calif and Sovereign Spirit (FWD QEII Cup), Goemon (FWD Champions Mile) and Swift Asset (Chairman’s Sprint Prize).
Six horses selected to run in the HK$26 million 148th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (23 March) – Rubylot, My Wish, Californiatotality, Markwin, Noisy Boy and Stunning Peach – hold entries for FWD Champions Day.
Hong Kong’s contingent is bolstered by a host of established and emerging performers including Sunlight Power, Gorgeous Win, Magic Control, Ensued and Straight Arron.
Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted with the spread of entries and quality of interest in this year’s FWD Champions Day features – including 56 entries from our overseas friends and 39 from Hong Kong, laying the foundation for another wonderful staging of our spring flagship meeting.
“The excitement that the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising brings each time he races is electric and we cannot wait to see him tested once more against international opposition in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Exceptional miler Voyage Bubble has gone from strength to strength across the last six months and he will face another exciting challenge next month.
“Our global champion Romantic Warrior has given us some incredible memories this year in Dubai and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so while we are disappointed not to see him go for a fourth win in the FWD QEII Cup, we are immensely proud of his efforts, and his absence opens the door for what shapes as a remarkably competitive FWD QEII Cup.”
