Lui saves best for last to clinch trainers’ title
The road to glory is certainly not for the faint hearted.
Francis Lui can attest to that – for the 65-year-old conditioner showed steely nerves to claim his first trainers’ championship in the final event on the final day of the 2023-2024 Hong Kong season at Sha Tin racecourse on July 14.
Pierre Ng, with 67 winners entering the 11-race season finale, had led Lui by one winner.
Both entered nine runners each on July 14 and it was the 40-year-old Ng who drew first blood when he sent out Beauty Waves (Alexis Badel) to take out Race 2, a Class 2 1,200m event.
Ng also saddled third-placed Duke Wai while Lui sent out second-placed Call Me Glorious and fourth-placed Packing Treadmill.
Three races later, Ng surged to a three-winner lead when First Love, under Zac Purton, took out the Class 4 1,200m contest.
But Lui’s late, late show was to prove decisive. And he had much to thank Purton as Steps Ahead (Race 7), Chancheng Glory (Race 8) and Packing Hermod (Race 9) brought him level with Ng on 69 winners.
Lui’s runner Holy Lake ran second in the penultimate event, a Class 3 1,600m race, behind Purton’s mount Young Achiever.
It was a significant result as Lui took his tally for second placings to 55, one more than Ng, going into the final event.
Ng needed either a win for outright success or a second to trump his former mentor and claim the crown on third placings.
But Lui saved his best for last, with Patch Of Theta making it a one-horse affair in the Class 3 1,400m race, to clinch the title outright with his 70th winner.
While champion rider Purton, 41, bagged a six-timer to take his tally to 130 – Perfect Peach got him off to an early start in Race 3 – fellow Australian Hugh Bowman also had reason to celebrate.
Bowman, who turned 44 on July 14, booted home Super Elite in Race 1 and closed out with Patch Of Theta to take his tally to 69 and third spot. Karis Teetan finished second on 86. Purton’s seventh crown put him level with Basil Marcus and Gary Moore.
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