Hot Prospect: Francis Lui's young talent hits the deep end

Hot Delight arrives at Sha Tin on Saturday as Hong Kong racing's most talked-about young talents, unbeaten in three starts and a virtual lock for the Champion Griffin award. But his fourth career start – in a Class 2 handicap over 1200 meters – represents the steepest test of his burgeoning career. 

The three-year-old has risen from a starting rating of 52 to 81 in those three runs for trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai, a trajectory that outpaces some of the jurisdiction's recent champions at the same stage of their careers.

"He has gone up in the ratings very fast – maybe too fast," Lui told The Standard. "I am happy with him though."

Lui confirmed Hot Delight will not race again this season after Saturday, with the Hong Kong Classic Mile in late January 2027 the primary target. "There aren't any good options anyway – and there aren't many at the start of next season either. We will start thinking about the Classic Series,” he said. 

Jockey Harry Bentley, who picks up the ride because the lightweight allocation means regular partner Vincent Ho Chak-yiu cannot claim it, partnered Hot Delight in a barrier trial on a sodden all-weather track two weeks ago. The gelding finished third behind Alpha Strike, two and a half lengths off the leader in a time of 1:11.12 on ground described as wet slow. 

The trial didn’t impress some experts but Bentley was unconcerned. "He felt great actually – the track was particularly bad that day and I was a little bit further back in the field, a little wider – but I thought he gave me a really nice feel, so I wouldn't read too much into how he finished the trial,” he said. 

The English jockey, who also partnered Hot Delight in a three-quarter pace workout at Sha Tin on Thursday morning – clocking 400-meter splits of 30.6 and 27.7 seconds for an overall final 800 meters in 58.3 seconds – knows what the opportunity represents.

"It was a good pick-up ride – he is a really promising horse. They are the horses you want to be on and can take full advantage of the opportunity."

Saturday's field of 12 includes Bulb General, who showed plenty of promise on return from a layoff when closing off strongly for third behind Young Champion last start, and Invincible Sage, a former international Group 1 placegetter now operating in the mid-90s. Patch Of Stars draws well in barrier three and should get a lovely trail from what looks a genuine speed, while Young Champion has been a revelation since dropping back to 1200 meters.

A win would all but seal the Champion Griffin title and bank a HK$1,000,000 PPG bonus for owner Peter Law Kin Sang. But even Lui acknowledges the task is significant. The ratings rise has been rapid and Saturday will reveal whether the hype is justified – or simply ahead of schedule.

 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓