Hong Kong Racing
Race Review of Sha Tin - 8th March 2026
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
Race 1 – Suffolk Handicap, HK $1,170,000,
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m – Track Good
Time: 56.87 Standard Time: 56.65 Course/Class Record: 54.94 United We Stand
RUN RUN SUNRISE (AUS 3yo g Capitalist – Sister Sledge) broke his maiden at start three with Derek Leung in the saddle for Frankie Lor. He got away on terms from his inside barrier and landed in a midfield position in the run. Leung didn't look for cover in the run, facing the breeze throughout down the middle of the course with the local hoop sitting patiently by the 400m point. He let down impressively to hit the front inside the final furlong and would inch away late in the race, scoring by a half-length on the line. COMET RADIANCE sat close to the speed under Angus Chung after getting away well from barrier seven. He travelled nicely into the race and moved up to the tiring leader, though as he was making ground, so was Run Run Sunrise. He fought gamely to the line, but the winner always had his measure. HEROIC MASTER flew home from a long way back to finish in third position, 1-1/4 lengths off the winner.
Race 2 – Somerset Handicap, HK $875,000,
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1400m – Track Good
Time: 1:22.50 Standard Time: 1:22.30 Course/Class Record: 1:21.40 Fight Time
HE WAS ME (AUS 5yo g Needs Further – Tycoon Sali) led home a very tight finish to secure his maiden victory at start 20. The five-year-old rolled forward from barrier 13, using the long back straight to gradually work across to sit on the speed. The leader ran along at a solid tempo and broke away from the pack, with Andrea Atzeni sitting in second position at the head of the chasing pack. He spotted the leader 3-3/4 lengths at the top of the straight and was hard ridden, with the leader still going well in front. The leader folded up late in the race, leaving He Was Me in front and with a wall chasing. He had rivals coming at him from out wide and back to his inside, but the gelding got his nose down where it mattered most to take the win by the barest of margins. GENERAL SMART blew the start and was quickly at the back of the pack under Zac Purton. Around the home turn, Purton was 8 lengths off the leader as he looked to slice his way through the traffic. With the field spread right across the track, the gaps appeared for General Smart to come through and he was finishing strongly down the outside. He hit the line locked together with He Was Me and The Concentration, with the margin being just a nose between those three. THE CONCENTRATION was on the back of He Was Me in the run and remained on the inside rail as they turned for home. He scraped the paint right to the wire, just missing out on the win by a nose, but ending up in third position.
Race 3 – Rutland Handicap, HK $1,170,000,
Class 4 – All Weather - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.71 Standard Time: 1:08.95 Course/Class Record: 1:08.14 Happy Tour
Andrea Atzeni quickly made it a winning double on the day, guiding home the Manfred Man-trained JUICY DRAGON (AUS 4yo g Territories – Escobar). He didn't have as much speed as his rivals in the early stages and ended up in a midfield position on settling down. Atzeni moved into the three-wide trail as they turned off the back straight and he got a lovely tow in to the race as he continued to build around the home turn. The Sicilian hoop looked confident on straightening and the four-year-old quickened when Atzeni asked for an effort. He let down strongly to hit the front coming to the 100m point and he was simply too good, winning by 1-1/4 lengths on the line. ACE POWER couldn't go with his rivals in the early stages, ending up in last position as they sorted their order out. He was well back in the run and a clear last around the home turn with Ferraris remaining closer to the inside on straightening. The gap opened for Ace Power to come through and he was finishing strongly, but the winner was just too good. NO OTHER CHOICE was back there with Ace Power in the run and he swung wide to come down the outside under Alexis Badel. He closed off nicely to finish third, beaten 1-1/2 lengths.
Race 4 – Rutland Handicap, HK $1,170,000,
Class 4 – All Weather - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.71 Standard Time: 1:08.95 Course/Class Record: 1:08.14 Happy Tour
The winners didn't stop for Andrea Atzeni, bringing up three in-a-row aboard GOOD CHAP (AUS 5yo g Deep Field – Pane In The Glass) for the David Hall barn. He jumped well from barrier five and put himself close to the speed with ease through the opening stages, though he was left racing wide. A rival came across to give Atzeni and Good Chap cover three-wide and it was almost a case of déjà vu from what we saw in the race prior. Good Chap got a lovely tow into the race three-wide, peeling off heels to make his move around the home turn and eventually hitting the front with around 150m remaining. The five-year-old would get away late in the race, scoring comfortably by 1-1/4 lengths. CONRAD THE GREAT crossed from barrier 12 to give Good Chap that cover three-wide, as Richard Kingscote and Conrad The Great faced the breeze. He worked into the race nicely on the turn and was poised to strike on straightening, moving up with Good Chap on his outside. He couldn't fend off the winner late in the race, but he stuck on gamely to hold on for second in a photo finish. FLOWING RICHES looked as though he was tiring late in the race with Good Chap and Conrad The Great going by him, though he rallied back under Keith Yeung to just miss out on second place in a photo finish.
Race 5 – Norfolk Handicap, HK $1,170,000,
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1600m – Track Good
Time: 1:34.62 Standard Time: 1:34.90 Course/Class Record: 1:33.28 Bright Inheritance
THE GOLDEN KNIGHT (AUS 4yo g Impending – Oratia) wasn't the first past the post, but James Orman and connections got the job done in the Steward's room to win on protest. The gelding jumped on terms from barrier four and landed in a midfield position for Orman, racing along the inside rail. He was shuffled back a touch as they travelled by the 800m point, with the leaders getting away from the rest of the pack. Orman was held up around the home turn and changed course a couple of times with Master Trillion slicing across in front of him and causing plenty of interference. Once he was able to wind up, he closed strongly, particularly in the final 100m where he was very strong late in the race. He got to within a head of Master Trillion on the line and the Steward's reversed the result, promoting The Golden Knight to first. MASTER TRILLION was positioned ahead of The Golden Knight in the run, sitting just off the pace setters. He was under pressure around the home turn but was building up the revs as he got off heels early in the straight. In doing so, he interfered with The Golden Knight which is what cost Master Trillion the win. He sprinted well to hit the front inside the final 200m, and he was strong to the line, crossing the line in front, but losing the race in the Steward's room. MEGA MASTERMIND turned in a bold effort sitting close to a strong tempo throughout for Brenton Avdulla and being only a half-length away at the finish.
Race 6 – Kent Handicap, HK $1,170,000,
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.77 Standard Time: 1:09.35 Course/Class Record: 1:08.36 Jubilant Winner
Hugh Bowman and Jamie Richards combined to win race six with YEE CHEONG GLORY (AUS 5yo g Puissance De Lune – Hughes My Daddy). The flashy grey jumped on terms but Bowman let the speed go to settle in a midfield position. Through the middle stages, the Australian hoop tried to get off the fence and was put back to the inside by rivals, with Bowman waiting until they were entering the straight to start making his move. He was travelling strongly early in the straight but he just needed a gap to appear, with the door opening with 300m left to run. He finished off strongly down the outside to hit the front with 100m to run, with the big grey running away with the win. MASTER LUCKY spent plenty of fuel early in the race to get across and land on the outside of the leader from a wide draw. Dylan Browne McMonagle was able to catch his breath through the middle stages before quickening strongly again at the top of the straight. He was in front for a long way before Yee Cheong Glory assumed control late in the race. He stuck on gamely to hold on for second, 1-1/4 lengths off the winner. CALL ME SUCCESS got his nose down on the line to take third position after Andrea Atzeni looked very confident early in the straight.
Race 7 – Devon Handicap, HK $3,120,000,
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:46.31 Standard Time: 1:47.50 Course/Class Record: 1:45.84 Californiatotality
STUNNING PEACH (IRE 5yo g Wootton Bassett – A Mist Opportunity) made it back-to-back wins with Angus Chung in the saddle for Tony Cruz. Chung eased back from barrier nine to settle near the tail of the field in the early stages with a good tempo being set up front. He was shuffled back to be second last as they turned off the back straight, but he was travelling well coming to the turn and Chung eased to the outside to be the widest runner in the straight. He stormed home down the outside impressively, taking the lead with 100m to run and landing the knockout blow. BEAUTY ALLIANCE rolled forward from barrier six, racing up on the speed before easing to settle on the back of the leader. Coming around the home turn, Yeung got off the fence and was pushing his way into the clear, wedging himself between horses and moving up to take the lead early in the straight. He turned in a strong effort to run second, beaten only a half-length. KA YING GENERATION came down the outside with Stunning Peach after settling in the back half of the field. He closed off nicely for third, though the first two were just better on the day.
Race 8 – Cornwall Handicap, HK $1,860,000,
Class 3 – All Weather - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:07.77 Standard Time: 1:08.55 Course/Class Record: 1:07.40 Dehere's The Love
James Orman secured a winning double on the day with MAGNIFIQUE (NZ 4yo g Charm Spirit – Oh Dee Jay) building on his impressive record, now boasting 5 wins from seven starts. The gelding showed good speed from the outset to be in the one-out-one-back position. He travelled sweetly through the middle stages and the $3.9 favourite ambled up on the outside of the leader on straightening, looking like the winner a long way from home. He took the lead with a furlong to run and he never looked like getting beaten, winning by a half-length on the line. VICTORY SKY had the rail throughout the run and kicked up on the inside to keep out the leader. It looked as though Magnifique would run away with the win, but Victory Sky hung in there right to the end to make the winner earn it. BLAZING WIND finished off impressively from midfield under Jerry Chau, though he was 2-1/4 lengths off the winner.
Race 9 – The Kowloon Tong Club Trophy (Handicap), HK $2,050,000,
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1600m – Track Good
Time: 1:34.55 Standard Time: 1:34.70 Course/Class Record: 1:33.19 Beauty Fit
Andrea Atzeni's superb day in the saddle continued as he picked up win number four aboard ENDUED (AUS 4yo g Deep Field – Waruna) for the John Size stable. Atzeni rolled forward from the outside barrier to settle on the outside of the leader as they sorted their order out. He travelled well with an even tempo on offer, and he moved up to take the lead shortly after straightening. He was there to be beaten if his rivals were good enough, but Endued was just too strong from up on the speed. He fought off all of his challengers to win by a head on the line. SMART AVENUE ended up near the tail of the field from barrier nine, getting down to the inside rail on settling down. Jerry Chau was able to pinch some ground through the middle stages, and the local hoop had to weave his way through the traffic on straightening. Once the gaps appeared, the gelding let rip and his last 150m was very strong. He was coming home strongly but ran out of time to reel in the winner. THE RED HARE was there to strike on straightening and was challenging Endued down the straight. He never got his nose in front however and got tired close to the line, ending up in third place.
Race 10 – Essex Handicap, HK $1,860,000,
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.28 Standard Time: 1:09.00 Course/Class Record: 1:08.11 Victor The Winner
FAST NETWORK (NZ 5yo g Wrote – Alberta) handed Zac Purton his first winner of the day, getting the job done as the race favourite. He wasn't the fastest out of the barriers and ended up settling in a midfield position for Purton, racing along the inside rail. The speed was solid through the middle stages and Fast Network was ready to strike as they worked around the home turn. Purton looked to have plenty of horse underneath him, he was just unable to let rip early in the straight as he was held up for a run. It didn't matter however, with the gelding ducking back to the inside and shooting through to win easily. SKY TRUST had the run of the race in the one-out-one-back position and the gelding moved up strongly in the straight to take the lead. He led by the 200m point, but the race favourite came by underneath him and raced away with the win. He was a clear second though with INVINCIBLE SHIELD a further length behind in third. He closed off nicely from the second half of the field after having the back of Fast Network in the run.
Race 11 – Cumberland Handicap, HK $1,860,000,
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1400m – Track Good
Time: 1:21.87 Standard Time: 1:21.65 Course/Class Standard: 1:20.62 Preciousship
WINNING OVATION (IRE 4yo g Cotai Glory – Star Of Kings) handed Tony Cruz a winning treble on the day as he returned from injury with a bang. Alexis Badel went straight to the front with the $6.8 chance, eventually getting across to the fence with around 900m remaining. He was able to slow the tempo through the middle stages as there wasn't a whole lot of pressure up front, allowing him to pack the field up before sprinting quickly around the home turn. He shot away by the 300m point and he was still well clear with 100m to run. They weren't making any ground on him late in the race, getting the job done by 1-1/4 lengths. SUPER EXPRESS jumped the race favourite but was caught racing three-wide throughout for Andrea Atzeni. The moderate tempo through the middle stages meant it wasn't too bad to be out there facing the breeze, and he still loomed as a winning chance early in the straight. He couldn't reel in the leader, finishing a clear second. CALIFORNIA WAVES flew home from the back to grab third position as a $93 chance for Derek Leung and Cody Mo.
Check out our FREE Interactive Speed Maps for meetings in nine countries each and every day.