Lui saddles milestone 800th HK win
HONG KONG – Francis Lui has joined an elite cluster of Hong Kong trainers to saddle 800 winners or more, after teaming with regular ally Vincent Ho and Seaweed Fortune to reach the milestone at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Famed through his deeds with Hong Kong’s champion miler Golden Sixty, Lui was typically understated after Seaweed Fortune clinched the Class 4 Sheung Wan Handicap over 1,650m.
He has joined Tony Cruz (1,419), John Size (1,416), Caspar Fownes (1,016) and Ricky Yiu (905) among the active trainers to post at least 800 victories.
John Moore holds the overall Hong Kong trainers’ record with 1,735 wins.
Fittingly, Lui’s march to a monumental figure was accompanied by Ho’s dominating treble.
“Of course, it’s nice and I’m very happy. I just hope there’s more winners coming,” Lui, 63, said of his achievement, before quickly sealing a double with Ho aboard Gallant Waking in the first section of the Class 4 Central Handicap over 1,200m.
“I’m very happy to do it with Vincent.”
Lui was first granted a trainer’s licence in 1996/97.
He snared his first Group 1 win with Lucky Bubbles in the 2017 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m).
For Ho, who has been aboard Golden Sixty in all of the champion’s 21 triumphs and recently enjoyed a confidence-boosting stint in Japan, Seaweed Fortune’s success was especially satisfying.
“I’m really happy for Francis. He lets me ride his horses. His team does a great job. They’re always positive, so it’s great to get a winner for Francis. It’s a great achievement to get 800 wins,” said Ho, before addressing Golden Sixty’s quest for a third consecutive Longines Hong Kong Mile (1,600m) at Sha Tin on Dec 11.
“We’re having grass gallops and trials over the next month. He won’t be at his top in November, but he will be at his top in December. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Ho crowned a wonderful night aboard Nearly Fine.
The Caspar Fownes-trained galloper claimed the outright lead in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge by winning the Class 3 Wan Chai Handicap over 1,800m.
Ho, 32, has ridden at least one winner at each of the season’s six meetings to have nine wins overall.
He occupies second place in the jockeys’ premiership table, behind five-time Hong Kong champion Zac Purton, who has 11 winners.
Lui’s milestone came as trainer Dennis Yip celebrated his first victory of the season in the Taxation Institute Of Hong Kong 50th Anniversary Cup Handicap over 1,200m with Hercules under a ground-saving Alexis Badel ride.
Registering his first win since February 2021 – and his third overall in Hong Kong – Hercules burst through a narrow gap under Badel’s urgings.
Underlining his surging confidence, the Frenchman piloted the Cruz-trained Yo Beauty to victory in the first section of the Class 3 Admiralty Handicap over 1,200m.
It was the Anjaal gelding’s first success in 21 starts in Hong Kong. - HKJC
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