Last chance at Happy Valley this week
· Citizen
Racing in Hong Kong is a heady mix of big purses, brilliant jockeyship on tight courses, ferocious competition and ultra-strict controls.
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We get a last chance for a while to enjoy this action when the 2025/26 season finale is staged on Happy Valley racecourse on Wednesday this week.
Of course, South Africa has a strong, long-lasting relationship with Hong Kong racing, contributing many trainers, jockeys and horses to the city’s world-class galloping action; from Basil Marcus and Douglas Whyte to Tony Millard and JJ The Jet Plane.
Ferraris eighth on the log
The latest recruits to the racing-crazy enclave have been Joburg jockey Luke Ferraris and Cape Town trainer Brett Crawford, and both have acquitted themselves well in the season just ending.
Young Ferraris, son of David and grandson of legend Ormond, who died recently, lies eighth on the jockey log with 34 winners from 431 rides and a win rate of 7.9%.
This is a highly successful outcome in a super-competitive riding scene and has seen Ferraris selected to represent Hong Kong at the prestigious Shergar Cup international jockey shootout at Ascot in the UK.
Australian jockey Zac Purton has ruled the roost in Hong Kong for many years and literally has the pick of rides in all races – thanks to a wildly superstitious gambling environment and unashamed favouritism when dollars are on the line.
Going into the final meeting, Purton has 148 wins on the board from 690 rides and a 20.7% win ratio. Second on the table is fellow Aussie Hugh Bowman with 63 from 578 at 10.9%.
Two-time South African champion jockey Lyle Hewitson has been more fortunate than some other countrymen in tying down a coveted place on the Hong Kong roster but certainly hasn’t been as prolific as he was back home – currently sitting in 14th spot on the list with 26 winners.
Hewitson could have better luck next weekend in Durban, where he is rumoured to be booked to ride World Pool Gold Cup favourite King Pelles.
Trainer championship
Crawford is universally acknowledged to have lived up to all expectations of his Hong Kong Jockey Club invitation to contest the 2025/26 season – leading into the winners’ circle 28 of the 354 runners he has saddled to date.
The trainer championship is decided on winner numbers – unlike in SA where total prize money is the key – and topping the list this season is Britain’s Caspar Fownes, who is known locally as “King of the Valley”
because of his success at Happy Valley.
Fownes might well add to his 25/26 tally of 69 on Wednesday – possibly as early as Race 2 on the card with I Am Back.
Fownes does not have a runner in the final feature race of the 88-fixture season, Race 8, the Class 2 Lucky Patch Handicap, where trainer Frankie Lor seems to hold the aces with interestingly named duo Lucky With You and Bottomuptogether – to be ridden by Luke Ferraris and Brazilian superstar Joao Moreira respectively.
Hong Kong’s new 2026/27 season kicks off in early September.