Lor reaches his 500-win milestone in Hong Kong

HONG KONG – Frankie Lor continued a meteoric rise when Salon S triumphed impressively to deliver the trainer’s 500th Hong Kong victory, before Numbers emerged as a serious BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) contender at Sha Tin on Dec 27.

The quietly spoken horseman celebrated a memorable meeting with a double, reaching the 500-win mark milestone with three-year-old Salon S’s triumph before Numbers ($30) underlined his credentials for the Hong Kong Derby on March 22 with a gritty win against older horses in the HK$3.12 million (S$515,000) Class 2 Long Ke Handicap (2,000m).

Formerly known as King Of Thunder when trained by John O’Shea & Tom Charlton in Australia, the Tivaci four-year-old won two races pre-import and finished second in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2,400m).

Taken straight to the front by Derek Leung, Numbers increased the tempo from the 800m before stoutly fending off Winning Wing (Dylan Mo) by a length, with Gentlemen Legacy (Matthew Chadwick) a further neck away in third.

Lor outlined the Four-Year-Old Classic Series plans for Numbers immediately after he opened his account in Hong Kong second-up.

“I’ll see if the owner wants to go in all three Classic Series races, or just the 1,800m (Hong Kong Classic Cup) and 2,000m (Hong Kong Derby) because 1,600m (Hong Kong Classic Mile) might be a bit short for him,” said Lor.

“He’s a big, strong horse with a big stride. The jockey said ‘2,000m is still not enough, he can go 2,200m or 2,400m’.

“In Australia, he had 2,400m form. He’s quite easy to train. Sometimes big horses need more work to train, but he’s quite easy.”

Said Leung: “He’s a nice horse, he can handle even 2,400m. He’s got a big stride, can lead and, when he has cover, it will be even better for him because he can chase. I think the horse can improve even more.”

Leung closed the meeting in style to take riding honours with a brace, after saluting on Cody Mo’s Jumbo Treasure ($48) in the Class 3 Shui Long Wo Handicap (1,200m).

A former apprentice jockey, Lor served as assistant trainer to trainers John Size and John Moore before receiving a licence to train in his own right.

He has developed a penchant for quickly reaching training landmarks – including winning with his first runner, Yourthewonforme, at Sha Tin on Sept 3, 2017.

He finished second to Size on the trainers’ championship in his debut campaign, with a record first-season tally of 65 wins.

Lor’s foundation season paved the way for a string of prodigious achievements. They include landing a Group 1 double at the 2018 Longines Hong Kong International Races with Mr Stunning in the Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) and Glorious Forever in the Hong Kong Cup (2,000m).

The theme continued with a stable clean sweep in the 2019 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, with Furore in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and the Hong Kong Derby and Mission Tycoon in the Hong Kong Classic Cup.

Later, Mr Stunning delivered more Group 1 success for Lor in the 2020 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m).

Lor claimed the Hong Kong trainers’ title in 2021-22 with 90 wins, and also reached the 400-win mark in only his seventh season in 2023-24.

“The first two years I got a licence, I had really good seasons, so I have very good memories in my mind,” said Lor, who rates Yourthewonforme’s 2017 win as a career highlight along with the trainers’ championship.

“I’m lucky to get some good horses in my stable. I need to thank the owners first and also for the (Hong Kong) Jockey Club to give me a chance and also for my stable team – they work really hard for me.

“When you become an apprentice jockey and later on, when you are getting older, you need to think about finding another job to go ahead, and then training was also my dream.”

By Zousain, Salon S ($10) displayed plenty of ability with a comfortable win under Matthew Poon in the Class 4 Wong Chuk Wan Handicap (1,400m), a race restricted to three-year-olds. HKJC