John Size

After finishing a barnstorming second from gate 11 in a slowly run renewal of the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) four weeks back, last year's G3 Hampton Court S. scorer Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was assigned barrier five as post positions were drawn Thursday for the HK$24 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse. The former Aidan O'Brien galloper was no factor and well beaten in his first two local appearances, including a ninth to the upset-minded Excellent Proposal (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in...

Those who got stuck into Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Mile from a pari-mutuel standpoint very much adopted a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' approach, failing to give the talented Excellent Proposal (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) the benefit of the doubt for a dismal last-out performance in Class 2 company Jan. 10. Dismissed at 22-1, a massive overlay given the promise he'd shown previously, the chestnut rallied wide beneath Blake Shinn and charged home to cause the boilover. Lucky Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) lasted for second from a desperately unlucky Tourbillon Diamond (Aus) (Olympic...

Entering Sunday's G1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin, the likeable Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) had won half of his 22 career starts and had been out of the top three on just four occasions. His record at Group 1 level left more to be desired, as he had been blanked from seven previous tries, but the John Size trainee righted that wrong with a convincing success Sunday. Drawn gate two for Joao Moreira, Hot King Prawn was driven along early and found himself in the perfect spot...

Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}), recent winner of the G2 Jockey Club Sprint, and his John Size stablemate Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) signaled their readiness for the Dec. 13 Longines Hong Kong International Races with victorious barrier trials at Sha Tin Dec. 4. Waikuku, runner-up to the re-opposing Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Ire}) in last year's G1 Hong Kong Mile and a latest third in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April, came with a wide run from far back on the turn and kept on well...

Prepping for his Group 1 debut in the Longines Hong Kong Mile in three weeks' time, Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) confirmed his status as the top horse in Hong Kong with yet another breathtaking victory--his 13th from 14 career runs--in Sunday's G2 Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse. Last year's Classic Series sweeper was simultaneously winning his 10th race on the hop, joining the likes of his contemporary Beauty Generation (NZ), Co-Tack (Aus) and Silent Witness (Aus) to take as many consecutive races. In the day's other main...

A Street Boss colt proved a profitable pinhook for consignor Malcolm Bastard during the Arqana portion of the joint Goffs UK/Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, fetching £620,000 from Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Hong Kong-based trainer John Size near the end of the session. The son of the Flatter mare Undo had been bought for $120,000 at Keeneland September.

Two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}), a latest second when looking for the three-peat in the G1 FWD Champions Mile, will remain in training for an 8-year-old season, owner Patrick Kwok tweeted May 7. "BEAUTY GENERATION will stay on in training in Hong Kong next season. With the retirement of his legendary trainer John Moore, our champ BG will move to David Hayes in 2020/21," the Beauty Stable tweeted Thursday. The former Montaigne, Group 1-placed in Australia under the care of Anthony...

FWD Champions Day at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse is annually a miniature version of December's Longines Hong Kong International Races, with three Group 1 races offering prize money of HK$63 million (£6.6 million/US$8.1 million) and only a top-level race over 2400 metres missing from the mix. At least some of the buzz about this year's event has been dashed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, which has rendered Champions Day a wholly domestic raceday, but the beat goes on, with the vast majority of the jurisdiction's top gallopers set to...

Coronavirus has had a major affect on horse racing all across the globe, forcing the temporary abandonment of racing in a handful of prominent racing states in America, as well as Britain, France, hard-hit Italy and South Korea, while other places soldier on in front of empty grandstands. Hong Kong lies roughly 700 miles due south of Wuhan, the widely accepted epicentre of the virus's outbreak, but owing to aggressive action by the government and a populace that adhered strictly to preventive measures, racing has been allowed to continue in...

by Alan Carasso A trio of 100-plus rated 4-year-old heads to the post for Monday's first leg of the Classic series in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Classic Mile. Two of those have already achieved the rare feat of defeating more seasoned gallopers at group level, including the very progressive Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro). One of a pair of entrants from the on-fire Francis Lui yard, the gelded son of Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor) has won eight from nine, including a commanding two-length tally in the G3 Chinese Club Challenge...

by Alan Carasso Hammered into $1.50 (2-1 on) favouritism to assume the mantle of Hong Kong's top miler, Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) was given a ride full of finesse from jockey Joao Moreira and raced over the top of two-time defending Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) in the dying strides for a maiden Group 1 success in Sunday's Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin. But while there very well may be a new sheriff in town, the deposed king of the hill showed that...

Top-level racing returns to Hong Kong Sunday afternoon with the G1 Stewards' Cup (1600m) and the G1 Centenary Sprint Prize (1200m) and trainer John Size and jockey Joao Moreira look to have strong claims in both of the HK$10-million events. The travails of two-time defending Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) have been well-documented and the 7-year-old is looking to snap a three-race skid that includes latest third to Japan's Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Dec. 8....