Francis Lui

King Dance (Nyquist--Do the Dance, by Discreet Cat), a 3-year-old half-brother to last week's GIII Pimlico Special Stakes winner Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke) who cost $200,000 at Keeneland September in 2023, makes his career debut in a 1200-meter 'griffin' race at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday afternoon. King Dance is owned by Peter Chu and is trained by Francis Lui, best known as the conditioner of three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), and who has had other success with American-bred gallopers, such as Hong Kong...

The New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale was all about Hong Kong buyers, who spent NZ$17 million for 74 horses over the two-day stand, or 45% of the total gross. On day 1, they shelled out NZ$7.3 million on 33 horses, and added 41 more lots to that haul for NZ$9.7 million on Day 2. "It's hard to compete with Hong Kong. There's a lot of Hong Kong buyers here. There's a lot of geldings here and for us, it's hard to pay big money for a gelding. We...

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro--Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor), a three-time Horse of the Year and 10-times Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, has officially been retired from racing, owner Stanley Chan announced Friday at the Sha Tin stables of the gelding's trainer Francis Lui. "Golden Sixty has been more than just a racehorse to me and my family; he has been a companion, a friend, and a true champion," said Chan. "Watching him compete has been one of the greatest joys of my life. "I want to thank everyone who...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) reported record commingling turnover of HK$28.8 billion as the 2023/24 season concluded at Sha Tin on Sunday, with 26 countries and more than 70 partners now commingling on Hong Kong racing. That total represented a 13.7% increase on the 2022/23 season, while overall turnover on simulcasting for the season was also up by 8.7% to HK$12.8 billion as Hong Kong continued to offer wagering on the very best of world racing through the World Pool. This year the number of World Pool races increased from...

HONG KONG, CHINA -- Follow this, if you will. A filly bred in America and purchased for a very reasonable sum as a yearling is exported to Ireland, punches above her weight at the races and is sold to Australia for her second career. A few years after her arrival, she is covered there by a notable successful Northern Hemisphere shuttle stallion, the resulting foal makes trips through the sales ring in Australia and New Zealand and goes on to become arguably the best animal to ever look through a...

Hong Kong's dual Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) has been removed from consideration for the G1 Stewards' Cup on Jan. 21 after sustained a minor injury to his left front leg. A two-time winner of that prize in 2021 and 2023, the 8-year-old gelding will face a restricted workout schedule for the next three to four weeks. Owned by Stanley Chan Ka Leung, the bay has won 10 Group 1s in Hong Kong. "We found, the day before yesterday [Wednesday] in the morning, a little bit...

Jockey Vincent Ho made history Wednesday night at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island, becoming the first 'homegrown' rider to take out the prestigious Longines International Jockeys' Championship. With a narrow victory over Zac Purton in the fourth and final leg of the series, Ho amassed a total of 20 points to Purton's 18, with Australia's Rachel King and the locally based South African Lyle Hewitson on 16 points. King was declared outright third, with her victory in the first leg of the competition and an additional third-place...

Coming into Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting--the spring Hong Kong International Races, if you will--two-time Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), reigning champion middle-distance horse Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and emerging sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) had absorbed a gut punch or two over the course of the season. But each put pay to any lingering disappointment from those efforts with eye-catching, skinny-odds victories at before a crowd of nearly 50,000 at Sha Tin Racecourse. If you had a punt, one of two things happened--you...

For the third time in four starts this season, this time in Sunday's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) jumped at a quote of even-money or better, not insignificant given that his highest starting price in his 14 appearances prior to that was $1.80 (4-5). That he offered his backers $2.30 was only logical, as he was facing off with Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), perfect in four starts over the course and 2000-metre distance, which was supposed...

It was billed as a clash of the titans, with Hong Kong's three highest-rated gallopers squaring off for the first time in the G1 Stewards' Cup Sunday at Sha Tin. It certainly did not disappoint. Those who may have thought Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s defeat at the hooves of California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last month's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile signaled the beginning of the end or a changing of the guard were reminded in no uncertain terms that the 7-year-old retains all of his zest for...

His 22 career victories is an all-time record in Hong Kong racing history. His HK$116 million (£12.2 million/US$14.7 million) in career earnings makes him not only the richest racehorse to look through a bridle in the Special Administrative Region, but also one of the richest Thoroughbreds, ever. Stanley Chan's Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) can make even more history this Sunday when he starts a long odds-on proposition in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, a victory in which will tie Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) with three straight wins...

Two-time reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was allotted barrier four in a field of 10 mile specialists from Japan and Australia in addition to the locals as he shoots to equal the record of Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) with a third consecutive victory in Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse. Winner under a five-pound penalty of the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Mile when making his seasonal debut three weeks ago, the 7-year-old has won 22 of his 25...