Hong Kong Racing
Race Review of Happy Valley - 25th February 2026
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Bowmen Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.73
Ellis Wong out-rode completed his apprenticeship with a narrow win aboard LUCKY GENERATIONS (AUS 5yo g Russian Revolution – Virani) for his master, Caspar Fownes. The five-year-old didn't show as much speed as his rivals from the inside barrier, landing in a midfield position as they worked around the first turn. The speed was solid and Wong was well positioned along the inside, creeping closer turning off the back straight. The gelding travelled well to the home turn and Wong got him to the outside early in the straight, grinding away down the outside. His final 100m was where his strength shone through, coming home strongly under the local hoop to steal the victory away in the last couple of strides. ORIENTAL SURPRISE showed good speed early on to roll across from out wide, sitting on the outside of the leader as they sorted their order out. As they travelled through the middle stages, Purton eased back to take a trail on the back of the leader, sitting with cover by the 400m point and getting into clear air at the top of the straight. He hit the front inside the final 100m, though he couldn't fend off the hard charging Lucky Generations in the shadows of the post. KING ALLOY showed good early speed to take up the running from out wide, and he ran along at a good tempo. He kicked strongly on straightening but just felt the pinch late in the race, ending up a half-length away in third place.
Race 2 – Kennedy Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.57
NORTHERN FIRE BALL (AUS 4yo g Sooboog – Andronica) was back to winning ways for the first time this season, leading all the way under Derek Leung. The Dennis Yip-trained gelding fired out of the barriers and had the lead around the first turn, though he was kept off the fence until the 750m point. Leung was able to show a clean set of heels down the back, crossing down to the fence and leading by a length right around the home turn. He had his rivals gasping for air on straightening and the gelding just kept running. The race favourite loomed as a threat close to home, but they weren't making any ground on Northern Fire Ball, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths. BITS SUPERSTAR had enjoyed a lovely run in transit, sitting in the one-out-one-back position for Zac Purton. He worked into the race strongly around the home turn and looked the main danger to Northern Fire Ball with 200m remaining, though he couldn't make any ground on the leader. He crossed the line in second position with VICTOR THE RAPID finishing off strongly from midfield to take home third place as a $6.7 chance.
Race 3 – Magazine Gap Handicap, HK $3,120,000
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:48.08
SOLEIL FIGHTER (GB 6yo g Sea The Moon – Force One) had been knocking on the door all season but finally secured his first win in 12 months as he stepped up to 1800m for the first time today. From the inside barrier, Hugh Bowman kicked up to lead the field into the first turn and led unopposed by the 1200m point. There was no change through the middle stages as Soleil Fighter continued along at a good gallop, doing it easily out in front with no pressure being applied. He travelled strongly to the home turn and Bowman waited until he was balanced up before asking for an effort. Huge Wave loomed as a threat midway down the stretch, though the six-year-old quickly fought off that challenge, going on to score by three quarters of a length. HUGE WAVE had the prime position throughout the race, dropping in to settle on the back of Soleil Fighter in the run. Alexis Badel stalked the leader throughout the race, following his every move. Badel started urging his mount along as they turned off the back and got into the clear on straightening. He looked like the winner with 200m to run as he began to make ground on Soleil Fighter, but he couldn't go on with the job. He held on for second position in a tight three-way photo finish, just edging out SKY HEART who jumped the race favourite in the end and had to circle the field from the back of the pack.
Race 4 – Kennedy Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.15
LEGEND STAR (AUS 4yo g Deep Field – Ma Can Do It) returned to winning ways following a disappointing effort at Sha Tin last time out. He stepped up to Class 4 for this event and drifted back from the tricky barrier in the early stages, ending up in the second half of the field on settling down. Angus Chung was able to move into the three-wide line down the back straight which gave him a beautiful run into the race and around the home turn,getting to the middle of the track on straightening and lengthening nicely. He took the lead approaching the 100m mark and pulled away for a strong victory, with the final margin being 1-1/4 lengths. TACTICAL COMMAND slid back shortly after the start and around the first turn, Alex Badel was able to slot him into a midfield position along the fence. It was a goo piece of riding that saw the gelding within striking distance on the turn, though he just needed a gap to appear. He had to switch right to the outside and by that stage Legend Star had already blown by him. He chased strongly late in the race to get into second position, getting his nose down on the line. ICONICAL just missed out in that photo finish, having to settle for third after being caught three-wide throughout.
Race 5 – The Volunteers' Challenge Cup (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.45
Maxime Guyon and Francis Lui joined forces to win race five on the program with RAINBOW SEVEN (NZ 4yo g Per Incanto – Starossa) securing his maiden win. The gelding was a touch slow into stride but mustered well to be in a midfield position around the first turn. He was along the fence on settling down, travelling nicely with a strong tempo set up front. Guyon was able to slide through underneath his rivals to be there to strike on straightening, with the Frenchman cutting the corner and coming up the inside in the home straight. He never went around a horse as he came through to take the lead with 150m to run, getting a length clear close to home and winning rather comfortably. ARGENTO OCEAN used the inside barrier to his advantage, sitting on the back of the leader in running. Hugh Bowman began to work into the race on the home turn, getting into the clear at the top of the stretch and presenting with his run. Just as he was reaching the lead, Rainbow Seven took control back to the inside and drew away to score. Argento Ocean finished 1-1/4 lengths clear of AUTUMN VIBES who was an eye catcher late in the race. Matthew Chadwick was a long way back on straightening, with the gelding finishing off nicely to take third position as a $35 chance.
Race 6 – Robinson Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:39.95
STORMI (IRE 5yo g Capella Sansevero – Passified Lady) secured a winning hat-trick with Jerry Chau in the saddle yet again for Cody Mo. Chau rolled forward from barrier six and after being caught wide heading into the first turn, he got across to take control down the side of the course. He wasn't challenged out in front and led by about a length right through the middle stages, before putting the foot down as they turned off the back. He travelled well up to the home turn and pinched a gap on his rivals on straightening. He was there to be beaten if his opponents were good enough, but they couldn't reel him in, leading all of the way to score by three quarters of a length. AMAZING AWARD enjoyed the run of the race on the back of the leader and was there to strike as they swung around the home turn. He looked like the main danger at the 200m point and looked to be making a charge late in the race but peaked on his run and was forced to settle for second position. TO INFINITY closed off nicely for James Orman to finish in third position as a $32 chance.
Race 7 – Stubbs Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1650m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:38.95
SOLID WIN (AUS 5yo g Starspangledbanner – Casino Card) got back to winning ways today with Dylan Browne McMonagle doing the steering for the Ricky Yiu barn. McMonagle came out of the barriers neutrally and ended up in a midfield position on settling down. The speed was solid up front and the Irishman was giving his mount every possible chance through the middle stages. The speed ramped up again as they turned off the back, with McMonagle working into the race three-wide around the home turn, though he had plenty of ground to make up. The five-year-old sprinted quickly, rounding up his rivals that were tiring from on the speed. He took control with 100m to go and ran away with the victory, winning by two lengths. SO YOU WILL was a $45 chance at the jump and settled just off the speed for Alex Badel. He ducked back to the inside on straightening and closed off soundly under the urgings of the Frenchman. He was no match for the winner, but he stuck on well to finish in second position ahead of TELECOM FIGHTERS who was brave from up on the speed. He'd set the tempo throughout under Ellis Wong and looked like the winner on straightening, though he couldn't sustain the effort. He rounded out the placings as a $37 chance.
Race 8 – Wan Chai Gap Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.27
MY DAY MY WAY (AUS 5yo g Overshare – Madame Bookworm) bounced back to form in the penultimate event of the evening, causing an upset. The $30 chance was able to get across from barrier six in the early stages, landing in a handy position one-out-one-back for Lyle Hewitson. He was shuffled back a touch as they sorted their order out in the back straight, though the five-year-old was travelling nicely under the South African hoop. As they came to the 400m point, the gelding took off around the outside of his rivals, getting into the clear and making up plenty of ground down the middle of the track. He took the lead inside the final 150m and was too good late, scoring by a half-length. SPIRIT OF PEACE ended up in the second half of the field from barrier three and was caught along the inside rail throughout. Maxime Guyon didn't attempt to push wide on the home turn, going back to the inside and sliding up the fence in the run home. He snuck through underneath his rivals to run to second, though the winner was just too good out wide. SUGAR SUGAR was just in front of Spirit Of Peace in the run and got into the clear by slicing between horses late in the race. Brenton Avdulla threw everything he had at the gelding, though he could only manage a third placing.
Race 9 – Wan Chai Gap Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.47
OUTGATE (GB 7yo g Outstrip – Penny Drops) picked up his first win since June 2024, landing the knockout blow with Angus Chung in the saddle for Tony Cruz. Chung urged the grey gelding along out of the barriers to be up on the speed from gate five, moving forward through the middle stages to be on the outside of the leader. Chung began urging his mount along from the 400m point and took the lead shortly after entering the straight, with the flashy grey starting to edge away with 100m remaining. He couldn't be caught in the run to the line, ending his winning drought by three quarters of-a-length. BIENVENUE landed in a midfield position from barrier 11 for Zac Purton and was held up around the home turn. He was racing in restricted room until the 200m point where Purton finally saw daylight, with the gelding finishing off strongly to run to second position. He may have been able to challenge for the victory had he got out sooner and is worth following into his next start. CALIFORNIA BLITZ stuck on well from on the speed following Outgate in the run and finishing in third position.
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