Lui fights Fownes for King of the Valley crown after first four-timer since 2020

Buzzing following his largest haul of race victories at a meeting this season and first four-timer since June 2020, Francis Lui Kin-wai leads this term’s Happy Valley trainers’ championship by one win from Caspar Fownes going into Wednesday’s exciting finale.

With nine races remaining at Happy Valley before the city circuit hibernates until September, Lui (31 victories), Fownes (30) and Tony Cruz (27) have sufficient runners to be contenders for the tight-turning track’s unofficial title for handlers.

Lui, who celebrated Sha Tin successes with Call Me Dandy, Golden Samurai, Silver Sonic and Sweet Briar during Sunday’s twilight programme, will saddle up five gallopers at Wednesday’s Happy Valley meeting.

Perhaps Lui’s best chance of adding to his tally of Happy Valley wins this season is Hameron, the former Chris Waller-conditioned import whose overseas form and pedigree page suggests he should relish stepping up to 1,800m in the Class Three Let Me Fight Handicap.

Hameron, a 2,080m winner at Gosford who contested the Group One Metropolitan (2,400m) at Randwick on his penultimate run for Waller in Australia, has been strong late in each of his three Hong Kong starts over inadequate journeys of 1,200m, 1,400m and 1,650m.

“He’s a stayer, so 1,800m should suit him,” said Lui of Hameron, with whom Luke Ferraris will continue his association. “He’s improved with every run for me.”

While punters are guaranteed to flock to Hameron, they may not be so keen to support Cordyceps One when Lui’s problem miler lines up in the Class Four Silver Grecian Handicap over his preferred 1,650m trip.

Cordyceps One butchered the beginning of his last race on May 24 when the heavily backed $2.3 favourite lost more ground exiting the barriers than his six-length margin of defeat. A fortnight ago, the Hinchinbrook gelding broke through the front of his gate, banged his head and did not participate in the event.

Jockey Club stewards passed Cordyceps One’s trial effort last week, but Lui concedes he does not know whether the barrier rogue will behave on Wednesday.

“He’s difficult inside the gates. We’ve tried to improve his manners at training and the trials, but he’s different at the races,” Lui said of Cordyceps One, whom Lyle Hewitson will ride for the first time in a competitive heat following their trial together.

Another live chance at Happy Valley on Wednesday for Lui is last-start runner-up Joy Coming, whom Hewitson will steer in the first section of the Class Four Fast Most Furious Handicap (1,200m), while Party Warrior and Cheerful Days will represent the trainer in the last two races.

Fownes will have seven starters at Happy Valley on Wednesday – Jazz Steed, Loyal Ambition, Charming Steed, Ace Talent, Sunny Star, Explosive Witness and Galaxy Witness – and in the event of a tie on wins, he would beat Lui on countback because of his greater number of seconds. Cruz will need a miracle to overtake both Fownes and Lui from his position.

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Zac Purton and Vincent Ho Chak-yiu are level on 49 Happy Valley victories – 23 more than the city circuit’s third-ranked rider, Karis Teetan.

Purton, who broke Joao Moreira’s single-season record of 170 wins during Sunday’s meeting at Sha Tin, has eight Wednesday assignments at Happy Valley as the Australian superstar looks to build on his tally of 173 victories. Ho, who has led the city circuit jockeys’ title race for most of the 10-month campaign, also has eight rides.

John Size is likely to secure a record-breaking 12th Hong Kong trainers’ championship on Wednesday.

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