Hong Kong Racing
Size deploys strong squad on Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day
Champion trainer John Size is set to unleash a multi-pronged attack at the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day on Sunday (23 November) as he seeks to overcome his slow start to the season.
Size sits on five winners for the 2025/26 campaign, and while the ultimate aim remains an assault on December's HK$130 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races showpiece, he believes the contingent he will send to Sha Tin this weekend is mission-ready.
A treble at Sha Tin two weeks ago appeared to herald the beginning of Size's traditional autumn charge up the rankings. However, without a winner since then, the legendary handler will be looking to a healthy squad of 13 runners this weekend to ignite his season.
The 13-time champion trainer is the only handler with multiple runners in all three Group 2 races; he sends three to the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).
"The sprinters are good. They're trouble-free. They seem to be in pretty good shape," Size said.
"Helios Express – his trial was disappointing here last week," Size said. "But we're blaming the track condition. We had rain overnight, and I think the horse didn't like it. Hugh Bowman thought there was nothing wrong with him. He felt good, and his trackwork since has been normal."
Size also saddles the progressive Raging Blizzard (123lb) and Wunderbar (123lb), the only horse to beat Ka Ying Rising, in that contest.
"Raging Blizzard continues to improve," Size said. "He's certainly putting himself in there with a chance of getting prizemoney.
"Wunderbar's come down from Conghua. He looks great," he added. "I think you can notice that he's not carrying as much weight."
Size suggested this weekend might come too soon for the pair.
"They probably do their best after January … but they're fit and sound. This is the class that they've both won in already, so we'll go and see what happens," he added.
Perhaps the most difficult assignment falls to the Australian Racing Hall of Famer's representatives in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m), Ensued (123lb) and Bundle Award (123lb). They'll need to overcome the great Romantic Warrior (128lb) and Triple-Crown winner Voyage Bubble (128lb) in the nine-runner field.
"They're in pretty good order. They're obviously still improving. They should be somewhere near their best on the 14th of December," Size remarked. "I think the more time they're in training, the better they'll go."
Sunday's (23 November) Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day starts with the Class 4 BOCHK Cross-Border Services Handicap (1200m) at 12.45pm.
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