Hong Kong Racing
Race Review of Happy Valley - 11th March 2026
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Conduit Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1000m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 56.63 Standard Time: 57.35 Course/Class Record: 56.52 Shanghai Power
ELEGANT LIFE (AUS 5yo g Smart Missile – Rainbow) secured his maiden win at start 18, storming over the top for Caspar Fownes and Luke Ferraris. The South African hoop drifted back in the early stages after jumping from a wide draw, slotting into a midfield position cover as they sorted their order out. A strong tempo was set up front and Ferraris was poised to strike around the home turn, getting to the outside on straightening and coming with a strong run. He moved up to take the lead with 150m remaining and never looked like being caught, running away to score by 1-1/4 lengths in a strong performance. MACANESE MASTER flew across from barrier 11 to sit up on the pace, sitting on the outside of the leader as they sorted their order out. They weren't hanging about up front, setting a strong tempo through the middle stages, though he was still there to strike on straightening. Elegant Life ran by him midway down the straight, though he was able to fend off his nearest rivals down to the line to finish in second position. KING ALLOY was able to work across from out wide and set the tempo under Richard Kingscote. He was gobbled up by Macanese Master and Elegant Life in the stretch, but he kept on strongly hold on to third position.
Race 2 – Breezy Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.46 Standard Time: 1:09.90 Course/Class Record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
LUCKY MCQUEEN (AUS 4yo g All Too Hard – Granada Star) had been inching towards his maiden victory, with his first victory finally coming at start 11 for Cody Mo and Matthew Poon. Despite drawing barrier 10, Poon rolled forward from out wide with some speed draw around him. He was left facing the breeze three-wide in the run, but with an even tempo on offer, he wasn't over-exerting himself just off the speed. Poon was able to creep closer as they worked around the home turn, doing so under his own steam and being within striking distance on straightening. The leader kicked strongly at the top of the stretch, but Lucky McQueen wore him down to take the lead close to home, before eventually scoring by a half-length. SMART FIGHTER got to the front from barrier six and was ridden brilliantly by Alex Badel. The Frenchman was ablet o slow the tempo by the 600m point, stacking the field up before sprinting quickly at the top of the stretch. He looked the winner for a long way but couldn't fend off Lucky McQueen who was just too strong late. Race favourite THE HEIR had a brilliant run on the back of the leader for James Orman and ducked back to the inside on straightening. He was there to win if good enough, though he couldn't make any ground on Smart Fighter and finished in third place.
Race 3 – Hatton Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf – Distance 1650m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:39.71 Standard Time: 1:40.10 Course/Class Record: 1:38.42 Highland Rahy
GOLDEN BRILLIANT (NZ 4yo g Sweynesse – Zaperb) made it an early double for trainer Caspar Fownes, with the four-year-old breaking his maiden status. Alex Badel ended up in the second half of the field on settling down, racing in the three-wide trail. As they passed the halfway point of the race, Badel began to make a move four-wide around his rivals, building up his momentum and creeping closer to the front as they turned off the back. He continued to course around his rivals, being poised to strike on straightening as he stayed on strongly down the middle of the course. He hit the front coming to the 150m point and was too strong for his rivals, winning by a neck on the line. STAR ELEGANCE flew home from the back of the pack to grab second. The gelding travelled at the tail throughout the race for Derek Leung and was still under a hold coming to the home turn, with the local hoop looking to course deeper on the track. As he swung around the bend, the gelding was hanging in under pressure, though he straightened up nicely when Leung put the whip in his right hand. He finished off strongly be ran out of time to catch the leader. WINNING DATA finished in third spot, wedged between Golden Brilliant and Star Elegance. He too closed off nicely late in the race, though he never really looked like a winning threat.
Race 4 – Hatton Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf – Distance 1650m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:39.95 Standard Time: 1:40.10 Course/Class Record: 1:38.42 Highland Rahy
Lyle Hewitson and Danny Shum combined to win the fourth race of the night as WIN METHOD (AUS 3yo g Written Tycoon – Sopraffina) returned to winning ways. The gelding jumped a little awkwardly from barrier 5 but put himself on the speed as they rolled into the first turn, landing in the one-out-one-back position. As they continued down the side of the course, Win Method moved closer to the leader, sitting on his outside with just a moderate pace being set. The tempo ramped up from the 800m point, but Hewitson was right there as it continued to build, eyeballing the leader around the home turn. When the sprint went on at the top of the stretch, The gelding was up to the task, taking the lead inside the final furlong and he shot away, going on to score by 1-1/4 lengths. RUN RUN TIMING kicked up from the inside barrier to take up the running from barrier one under Richard Kingscote. He was able to dictate from the front, setting the tempo to his liking as he controlled the race right to the home turn. Kingscote got to work around the final bend, though it didn't take long for Win Method to gain the upper hand. There was a big gap back to the rest, so while he may have been tiring late in the race, he was still able to hold on for second. ROMANTIC LAOS stayed on well after the sprint went on, closing strongly to finish in third spot as an $18 chance.
Race 5 – The Craigengower Cricket Club Challenge Cup (Handicap), HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.20 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class Record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
SIGHT HERMOSO (AUS 4yo g Headwater – Rose Queen) had been knocking on the door for a while now and he finally returned to winning ways with Dylan Browne McMonagle in the saddle for John Size. McMonagle was able to roll forward from gate nine and slot into the one-out-one-back position with ease around the first turn. A good tempo was on offer and McMonagle was just nudging the four-year-old along down the back to remain within striking distance. He eventually wound up strongly as they swung into the straight, coming down the middle of the track to take the lead with around 150m remaining. He was simply too good for his rivals, winning by three quarters of a length. KING OF BROTHERS was right there to the inside of Sight Hermoso throughout the run, ending up in a midfield position as they travelled through the middle stages. They made their runs together in the straight, though Sight Hermoso was just too good on the day. JUMBO TREASURE stuck on boldly from the front after setting a strong tempo, holding on for third, though he was 3 lengths off the winner.
Race 6 – Breezy Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.80 Standard Time: 1:09.90 Course/Class Record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
SOMELOVEFROMABOVE (AUS 4yo g Lonhro – Sabia) made it back-to-back wins in very impressive fashion, bolting in for James Orman and making it a winning treble for trainer Caspar Fownes. The four-year-old rolled forward under Orman, sitting close to the speed before easing back to take up a trailing position through the middle stages. The pace was strong through the early stages, though the field began to bunch coming to the home turn, prompting Orman to swing wide approaching the final corner. He was absolutely trucking as they entered the straight, getting to the lead at the furlong pole and edging clear for an easy victory, winning by 1-1/2 lengths. VICTOR THE RAPID had the back of Somelovefromabove in the run and tracked his every move. Jerry Chau followed the eventual winner into the race and came off his back to challenge. He was finishing strongly over the final 100m, but he couldn't reel in the winner who was just too good. SAME TO YOU snuck up the fence to steal third position in a photo finish for Lyle Hewitson, sticking to the inside after getting well back in the run.
Race 7 – Breezy Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.66 Standard Time: 1:09.90 Course/Class Record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
TEAM TEAM FOLKS (NZ 4yo g Super Seth – Savodara) picked up his second win in four starts, getting the nose down to win narrowly for Jimmy Ting and Vincent Ho. From a wide draw, Ho eased back to settle near the back of the pack. The local hoop was able to get down to the inside rail in the run with a solid tempo being set up front. Around the home turn, Ho stuck to the inside and looked to weave through the traffic as the field in front of him fanned across the track. He was coming strongly in the closing stages, sneaking underneath his rivals to take the lead in the shadows of the post and scoring by a short head. FORERUNNER was to Team Team Folks outside throughout the race after drifting back early, with the pair locked together throughout the race. They made their run together back nearer the inside, but Team Team Folks was going better in the straight, he made a late challenge, but he couldn't get his nose in front. GOLDEN EMPIRE was able to hold on for third in a photo finish after enjoying a lovely run one-out-one-back, rounding out the placings as an $8.90 chance.
Race 8 – Bonham Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.27 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class Record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
METRO POWER (AUS 4yo g Overshare – Vegeta) picked up his second win of the season, securing a winning double for jockey James Orman. The son of Overshare rolled forward around the first turn to take up the running under Orman and did so under his own steam.
Orman was able to slow things down by the 800m point, condensing the field off the back straight before letting rip again as they swung around the turn. He quickened impressively once he'd balanced up in the straight, though some rivals were coming at him late in the race. He was able to hold them at bay to score and all-the-way victory by a head. ACE CHAMPION landed in a midfield position from barrier one, racing along the inside fence for Richard Kingscote. Around the home turn, the gaps appeared for Kingscote, and he was able to slice through the pack to be within striking distance midway down the stretch. He came with a strong run late in the race but ran out of time to reel in Metro Power. MEOWTH stuck on well after being caught wide and without cover throughout finishing a length away in third.
Race 9 – Lyttelton Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:48.69 Standard Time: 1:49.45 Course/Class Record: 1:47.79 China Win
Tony Cruz and Keith Yeung combined to win the final event of the evening as FALLON (IRE 6yo g Galileo Gold – Providence) returned to winning ways. The $16 chance landed in a great position, slotting in midfield and one off the fence right behind the odds-on favourite. With an even tempo being set up front, Yeung stalked the favourite throughout the race, remaining within striking distance as they turned off the back straight. Fallon was under pressure by the 600m point, but he responded to Yeung's urgings, and he was right there ready to strike on straightening. He mowed down the leader in the shadows of the post to win by a neck, with the win sealed by a salute from Yeung. CHINA WIN settled in the one-out-one-back position for Zac Purton after jumping the $1.7 favourite. He had every chance in the run and was ready to strike as they worked around the home turn, with Purton peeling into the clear on straightening. The gelding ran to the front on straightening and was in front for a long way, though he began to get tired close to home. He was gunned down late in the race, ending up in second position. KEEFY stuck on well after being on the back of the leader throughout, finishing in third, though 2-1/2 lengths off the winner.
Check out the latest Singapore News