Training Performance of the Day – Chris So Wai-yin
Chris So Wai-yin pulled off a rare training feat when Celestial Strider won four days after racing at Happy Valley. Thirteen others had attempted the Wednesday-to-Sunday turnaround without success since Healthy Healthy managed it in December 2024.
Wednesday's eighth at $64 over 1,000 meters was better than it looked. Celestial Strider was slow away from barrier one and held up in the final 50 meters, yet still clocked the race's fastest final 400 meters.
Dylan Mo Hin-tung then rode him to a $26 victory over 1,200 meters on Sha Tin's all-weather track.
"It was always the plan to back up," So said. "I think the horse is starting to come good. When you look at him, he seems like he could go further, but we tried that last year and he couldn't handle the longer distance. So we brought him back to the shorter trip."
Horse to Follow - Young Archer
Francis Lui Kin-wai said he was "disappointed" with Hot Delight's third in Sunday's final race, but Young Archer had given him something to celebrate one race earlier, winning on his Hong Kong debut in Class 3.
The four-year-old Australian import, formerly known as Melian, had won one of two starts for Anthony and Sam Freedman before arriving in Hong Kong. He had shown promise in his local trials, although Lui admitted he was "surprised" by the $19 victory.
Young Archer (outside) gets up in the final stride to score a winning debut. Sing Tao
Zac Purton had partnered Young Archer in his trials, but Luke Ferraris took the race ride and got him home by a nose.
Young Archer became the first horse since Solid State on July 4 to win a Class 3 race over 1,200 meters on Sha Tin’s turf on his Hong Kong debut, and it is a rare achievement: 24 winners from 561 debutants over the past 10 seasons, a strike rate of 4.3 percent.
Ride of the Day – Zac Purton, Gorgeous Victory
Zac Purton and Vincent Ho Chak-yiu had the two market leaders drawn alongside each other in barriers one and two in the fifth event, but their decisions during race made all the difference.
Purton on Gorgeous Victory and Ho on Lucky Year raced side by side for the first 800 meters before Ho moved three wide to improve his position, while Purton committed to a ground-saving rails run.
Zac Purton saved all the ground on the inside to win aboard Gorgeous Victory. Sing Tao
By the time they straightened, Ho was exposed five wide and already hard at work, while Purton was still 1¼ lengths behind his rival at the 400-meter mark but with plenty of horse underneath him and waiting to pounce having done no work in the run. When the gap finally opened approaching the 200 meters, Gorgeous Victory quickened through to beat Lucky Year by 1¾ lengths.
