LOCAL TRAINERS SHOWING THEIR WORTH IN HONG KONG

By Darren Winningham | Monday, December 4, 2023

Come Sunday the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be run and won for 2023 and the results there could well again underline the success and continued emergence of local trainers in Hong Kong with Manfred Mann, Francis Lui and Danny Shum set to become big players on Sunday.

The LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint will feature Lucky Sweynesse trained by Manfred Man. Then the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile will feature the local champion for the past three seasons, Golden Sixty, trained by Francis Lui. Finally, the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup will feature the 2023 WS Cox Plate winner and the 2022 winner of this race Romantic Warrior trained by Danny Shum ... with all of these horses likely to be sent out at short-priced favourites for their respective races.

Frankie Lor is probably the success story of the local Hong Kong Chinese trainers. He started training in the 2017/19 season and in his debut year managed to run second in the trainer’s premiership. A remarkable result! In the 2021/22 season he won the HKJC trainers’ premiership, ironically defeating his mentor John Size in a close battle.

The names of Derek Cruz, Tony Cruz, and Ricky Yiu are also very much on the Hong Kong honour roll.

In the current season there are only four expats in the top nine trainers. Pierre Ng Pang- chi is dominating, leading the premiership. Francis Lui is second with 18 wins and Danny Shum third with 17 wins.

The top three trainers in the current premiership and all local Hong Kong Chinese trainers.

Clearly the training system deployed by the HKJC is working. The mentoring of local Chinese trainers by the expat stables is working and the results are on display for everyone to see ... clearly with the promise of more to come!

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