Vagner Borges

Kiwi-breds dominate Hong Kong features

Posted on April 7, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

New Zealand-bred horses took out the two feature races at Sha Tin on Monday. Mighty Giant scored an all-the-way victory in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) to land the HK$4.5 million contest under a daring front-running ride by jockey Neil Callan. The Power gelding rolled to the front at the 1100m mark and from[...]

Posted on April 6, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Stunned by an Easter Monday miracle, Jimmy Ting is unlikely to tempt fate twice by aiming blowout Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) winner Amazing Star at the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on FWD Champions Day on 25 April. Struggling to comprehend the fact Amazing Star – a bolter – had[...]

Posted on March 25, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Brazilian jockey success in Hong Kong is overwhelmingly Joao Moreira’s domain but at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (24 March), Ruan Maia posted one of the most significant – and relief-laden – victories of his career with a memorable breakthrough triumph. Eight meetings and 44 rides into his Hong Kong stint, Maia logged his first[...]

Posted on February 26, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Brazilian jockeys have made waves in Hong Kong in recent years and Ruan Maia is looking forward to rising to the challenge when his licence to ride in races commences this Sunday, 28 February at Sha Tin. A two-time champion jockey in his first two seasons in Macau (2017/18 and 2018/19), Maia, who finished second[...]

Posted on February 24, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Championship-leading trainer John Size is placing his faith in Scores Of Fun’s exceptional resilience as the sprinter shapes to bid for ultimate glory in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge at Happy Valley tonight (Wednesday, 24 February). The four-year-old will line up for his 12th start of the season when he contests the Class 3[...]

Posted on February 12, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Joao Moreira has extended his lead in the Hong Kong jockeys’ premiership with another display of dominance, notching a Happy Valley treble to lead reigning champion Zac Purton by 30 winners – 89 to 59. Marching relentlessly to a fourth Hong Kong jockeys’ crown, Moreira again snared riding honours with victory on Daily Beauty and[...]

Posted on January 20, 2021
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Injury halted the Caspar Fownes-trained Snap Fit’s burgeoning career last season, but this Wednesday (20 January) the handler’s talented six-year-old returns from a 10-month break to contest the first section of the Class 3 Sheung Hei Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley. “He had a suspensory problem which flared up again and we just had to[...]

Posted on November 25, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Neil Callan’s fine run of form has fired him into contention for the coveted final spot in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship and at Happy Valley on Wednesday (25 November) night he will attempt to seal his place from five rides in the eight races left to play out. The Irishman has bagged three doubles[...]

Posted on November 19, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Vagner Borges edged closer to a berth in next month’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) with his 11th win this term thanks to a sweeping success aboard Sunshine Warrior in the Class 2 Cheung Hong Handicap (1650m) to seal a Tony Cruz treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 18 November. With the LONGINES IJC featuring[...]

Posted on October 12, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Matthew Chadwick’s renewed association with Tony Cruz blossomed at Sha Tin yesterday (11 October) as the 30-year-old fired home his second double this season, capped with victory aboard the tenacious California Rad in the Class 2 Chak On Handicap (1200m). “He had a lovely run and he fought on nicely, very gamely and he got[...]

Posted on September 19, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Lakeshore Eagle soared to a hat-trick of wins at the end of last season and this Sunday (20 September) at Sha Tin the smart galloper will shoot for his fourth in succession when he lines up in a smoking hot Class 2 Cheung Shan Handicap (1600m). The six-year-old was a sensation for trainer Chris So[...]

Posted on June 28, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

The heat is on in the race to be champion trainer with front-runner Ricky Yiu feeling the burn at his back after closest rival Francis Lui maintained his excellent form with a double at Sha Tin on Saturday, 27 June. Yiu had to sit and suffer on Wednesday night when a Lui four-timer lifted the[...]

Posted on June 4, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Reliable Team’s battling win in the Class 2 Cochrane Handicap (1800m) ensured Karis Teetan enjoyed a memorable 30th birthday at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 3 June. The Frankie Lor-trained grey capped a celebratory double for the ‘Mauritian Magician’ following Murray’s Partners’ success in race three. “It’s nice to get a winner on a special day[...]

Posted on May 14, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Zac Purton and Joao Moreira continued their back-and-forth battle for the Hong Kong champion jockey title at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 13 May with the Australian outpointing the Brazilian two to one. Purton arrived at the city-side track one win ahead of his rival but with six mounts to Moreira’s eight; his brace ensured he[...]

Posted on May 10, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Jerry Chau made a dream home debut at Sha Tin on Saturday, 9 May, driving first past the post not once but twice just five days after teaming up with his new boss Douglas Whyte, the first-season handler best known as Hong Kong’s iconic 13-time champion jockey. The 10lb claimer was three rides into his[...]

Posted on April 22, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Tony Millard enjoyed one of his biggest days at Sha Tin when the exceptional Ambitious Dragon won the 2011 Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) and this Sunday (26 April) the handler will saddle the talented duo Glorious Dragon and Elusive State in the HK$25 million feature. Ambitious Dragon was 2.3 favourite when he rolled off[...]

Posted on March 19, 2020
in Hong Kong Horse Racing News

Vagner Borges realised a dream when he bagged his first Hong Kong win at Happy Valley last night (18 March) with an all-the-way success aboard Very Sweet Orange in the Class 3 Cassia Handicap (1000m). “My dream was always to come to Hong Kong and to have a winner here, I’m very happy,” Borges said,[...]

Kiwi-breds dominate Hong Kong features

Amazing Star emerges as an improbable ruler in the Group 2 Sprint Cup

Ruan Maia celebrates breakthrough success at Happy Valley

Hong Kong dream for Ruan Maia who joins Moreira and Borges

Grateful Heart, Scores Of Fun bid for Million Challenge glory

Moreira boosts lead in jockeys’ championship with another treble

Snap Fit returns for Fownes, In-form Size saddles seven

Callan wants IJC berth, maturity the key as Unicorn keeps on rising

Borges edges closer to IJC berth, Callan keeps on rolling

Tenacious California Rad seals a Chadwick double, Healthy Happy dazzles on debut

Lakeshore Eagle shoots for four in hot Sha Tin feature

Yiu feels the heat as Lui closes in trainers’ premiership battle

Teetan bags a birthday brace, So goes big at the Valley

Purton maintains his edge with Happy Valley double

Jerry Chau has a dream start with a Sha Tin double

Millard’s team ready to mix it on FWD Champions Day

Sweet first as Borges gets his Hong Kong win

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