YIU REACHES 1,000 HONG KONG WINNERS WITH SHA TIN TREBLE
Veteran handler joins some iconic racing figures in an exclusive club on his way to the notable haul
Ricky Yiu Poon-fai joined an illustrious list of trainers to prepare 1,000 Hong Kong winners with a brilliant treble at Sha Tin yesterday.
A prominent force in Hong Kong racing for many years, Yiu celebrated the magic milestone when Hayday made all in the Class Four Jordan Handicap (1,200m) under Matthew Poon Ming-fai.
The veteran handler capped a big day with victories in the final two races – Jolly Ruler in the second section of the Class Four Ho Man Tin Handicap (1,400m) for Andrea Atzeni, and Gracious Express in the Class Three Austin Handicap (1,200m) under Brenton Avdulla.
Yiu has trained some of the city’s elite gallopers headlined by Sacred Kingdom, a three-time world champion sprinter and Hong Kong Horse of the Year in 2009-10.
He joins iconic figures John Moore (1,735 wins), John Size (1,537), Tony Cruz (1,502) and Caspar Fownes (1,105) as Hong Kong’s most successful handlers.
“I’m glad to have this achievement of 1,000 winners in my career so far,” said Yiu before he was presented with a tailor-made commemorative plate by Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges for his milestone.
“[The treble] is amazing. Especially the last race, [Gracious Express] has been knocking on the door and he’s proving he’s very genuine.”
Yiu achieved a lifelong ambition when winning the Hong Kong trainers’ premiership in 2019-20, after leading for most of the season and holding off Cruz by two victories.
Noted as one of the city’s best travelling trainers, the now 66-year-old has had global success with the likes of Sacred Kingdom in Singapore’s Group One KrisFlyer International Sprint in 2009, the Group One Sprinters Stakes in Japan with Ultra Fantasy in 2010 and the Group One Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai with Amber Sky in 2014.
“I’m a lucky one to pick them,” Yiu said of his long list of stable stars.
“First of all, you have to have the right horse to travel. They’ve all been good travellers.”
When asked which horse he rated the best he has trained, Yiu could not bare splitting two of his former champions.
“Fairy King Prawn and Sacred Kingdom – not much between these two,” he said.
Hayday broke through for his first career win at start nine when Poon fired him forward from barrier eight to lead. He shook off all challenges to beat debutant Steps Ahead by a neck, with Lo Pan Spirit a length and a half back in third.
Jolly Ruler relished a drop in class to score an upset win at $36, running on from just off the speed to beat the $3.30 favourite, the Size-prepared Top Scorer, by half a length.
Gracious Express prevailed narrowly after sitting outside the leader, Golden Empire, and fighting him off late.
It was the Churchill gelding’s first Hong Kong win after he won three races in Britain when known as Sharp Power.
“Right from the beginning I liked him,” Yiu said of Gracious Express.
“And in race nine, Jolly Ruler dropped into the right class. He’s always been close.”
Yiu’s treble boosted his tally of victories this season to 46, moving up to third in the trainers’ premiership behind Pierre Ng Pang-chi (58) and Francis Lui Kin-wai (54).
Yiu will chase more success abroad when he starts stable star, Voyage Bubble, in the Group One Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) at Tokyo racecourse on June 2.
[Gracious Express] has been knocking on the door and he’s proving he’s very genuine
TRAINER RICKY YIU