Warrior can lift 4th QEII Cup

Race 1 (1,200m)

11 Prestige Hall has been knocking on the door this season but occasional wide draws have not helped. He has barrier 6 with Bowman.
9 Lucrative Eight finished third on debut and barrier 1 gives him a clean set-up second-up. He can take a step forward.
13 Packing King resumes off a stable change to Danny Shum and his trials have been encouraging. Zac Purton taking the ride adds plenty of interest.
5 The Heir’s switch back to Sha Tin can be a positive, given he has finished second twice from three attempts here.

Race 2 (1,600m)

1 Turin Champions drops back into Class 4. Barrier 4 is a welcome change after drawing wide in three of his last four runs. The lack of obvious speed on paper gives him the opportunity to land in a sweet spot from the gate and give himself every chance.
6 Big Return has tactical versatility and gets a far kinder draw in barrier 3, after winning last time from barrier 12.
4 Aestheticism has been running well in races where the barriers or race shape have worked against him. The return to this track and trip is a key positive.
7 Jolly Brilliant is an improving 3YO who looks ready for the mile, while the booking of Hugh Bowman adds to the appeal.

Race 3 (1,200m)

6 Solid Car resumes off a pleasing trial, and he looks well-placed to strike. His recent thirds behind Emblazon and Hot Delight are strong formlines and he maps well from barrier 3 for Ethan Brown.
1 Absolute Heart led throughout on debut to win impressively. He has since won a trial and barrier 1 again gives him every chance to control the tempo.
2 Mr Incredible did not get the clearest of runs in the straight last start, but his debut win was a proper performance and barrier 2 sets him up to bounce back.
13 Better And Better finally broke through last time but he has often been thereabouts, so he remains in the picture.

Race 4 (1,400m)

9 Daily Acclaim draws well in barrier 3 and gets Joao Moreira for the first time. The step-up to 1,400m looks timely and he can put his best foot forward.
3 Robot Star is an untapped 4YO with one win and two seconds from six starts. First-time blinkers are the key change.
1 Star Mac is a stable switcher and the booking of James McDonald stands out. He is first-up off a bleed, and this is his second start in Class 4.
5 King Dance was impressive winning last time from a wide draw, settling last before producing a sharp sprint off a slow tempo to score by a neck, He remains an intriguing type as a lightly exposed 4YO.

Race 5 (1,200m) THE CHAIRMAN’S SPRINT PRIZE (G1)

1 Ka Ying Rising goes for a record-extending 20th straight win In his final run of the season in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, and it is hard to frame it as anything other than another facile task for the world’s best sprinter.
4 Fast Network matches up closely with Helios Express, and the swing factor tends to be where each lands in the run. Barrier 2 could prove key to beating Helios Express.
3 Helios Express has clashed with Ka Ying Rising 12 times and finished second eight times, plus third on three occasions. He is a top-class horse who has had the misfortune of sharing an era with a champion.
2 Satono Reve has form around Ka Ying Rising, third in the 2024 Hong Kong Sprint and second in this race in 2025, before a ninth in December’s Hong Kong Sprint. He bounced back in Japan when winning March’s Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen.

Race 6 (1,200m)

5 Cool Boy’s last-start fourth can be upgraded. He was slow away from barrier 10, yet still finished strongly from eighth behind the talented Hot Delight. That effort sets him up to bounce back.
4 Geneva has returned this season with back-to-back placings and his pattern remains the same: get back and run on. He looks ready to win if the race shape suits.
8 Pegas is better placed back at Sha Tin after two Happy Valley runs where he did not feature, but he was not beaten far and both efforts had merit.
2 Circuit Grand Slam adds intrigue back in class and trip after taking on the Classic Mile and Classic Cup, then doing it tough in a wide run over 1,400m.

Race 7 (1,600m) THE FWD CHAMPIONS MILE (G1)

1 Jantar Mantar is a four-time Group 1 winner and tries Sha Tin for the second time after a Hong Kong Mile run in 2024. Now he arrives with major wins in 2025, taking the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship, form that earned him Japan’s champion sprinter title.
4 Lucky Sweynesse has relished the mile, winning the Chairman’s Trophy last time. Barrier 4 gives him plenty of tactical options, especially with some key rivals drawn wide.
5 My Wish needs to prove himself at Group 1 level as he is unplaced from four attempts, although the runs have had merit. Barrier 10 will likely see him be ridden with patience, but his turn of foot remains his weapon when the tempo suits.
8 Strauss is another Japanese runner with quality, and Moreira knows him well.

Race 8 (1,400m)

1 Helene Supafeeling reunites with McDonald, who won on his Hong Kong debut four runs ago. The inside draw and that jockey booking tick boxes.
4 Fit For Beauty has had three wins and two seconds from nine starts this season. His latest second behind Mighty Masts had merit after racing wide throughout. Barrier 11 is awkward, but the form is there.
10 Aeroinvincible arrives off back-to-back Class 4 wins. The draw sets him up for a sweet run in transit.
7 The Red Hare rarely runs a bad race and Nichola Yuen’s claim adds an interesting layer.

Race 9 (2,000m) THE FWD QEII CUP (G1)

2 Romantic Warrior goes for a record-extending fourth win in this race and it is hard to find the horse to trouble him on home soil. He has been beaten only once from 14 tries over 2,000m at Sha Tin, in the 2023 Gold Cup when Golden Sixty edged him by a head.
1 Masquerade Ball arrives with an elite rating after chasing home 2025’s highest-rated horse Calandagan in the Japan Cup. He also won the Tenno Sho Autumn in November. The form is there, now he needs to show it abroad.
4 Sosie comes with fewer questions than most after winning December’s Hong Kong Vase, and barrier 2 gives Maxime Guyon the chance to land a soft run.
3 Royal Champion is the wild card, seemingly finding career-best form as an 8YO since the stable switch to Karl Burke.

Race 10 (1,600m)

3 Endued arguably could be here with a better record given his last two runs were unlucky. He looks well-placed again and the conditions give him every chance to atone.
14 Rising Phoenix’s last run had merit, charging into fourth and beaten under a length despite missing the placings. He can make his presence felt from an inside barrier.
6 Family Jewel is three wins from five on this track and trip, and first-time blinkers are another change to note.
9 The Golden Knight goes for a hat-trick and is hard to knock on current form, but barrier 10 asks him to do it the harder way.

Race 11 (1,400m)

11 Salon S is a 3YO on the rise for Frankie Lor, chasing a five-win streak and aiming to stay unbeaten as he tackles his toughest test in Class 2. He loves to jump and run, can sustain strong sectionals, and still has a kick when asked.
5 Winning Ovation has burst back to form this season with two wins from three and then going down by a head last time after racing wide throughout. Barrier 2 gives him the chance to enjoy a smoother trip and test the favourite.
12 Mighty Masts is lightly raced but his first win last time was emphatic, drawing clear by more than three lengths and showing an impressive turn of foot.
9 Six Pack has been consistent and barrier 1 sets him up to keep that form line rolling again.

Comments courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club