Matthew Chadwick and James Orman are both keeping fit in Australia by securing rides during the Hong Kong off-season, with Chadwick enjoying a win at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Chadwick piloted the Kelly Schweida-trained Over Spray to victory in the Class One Gladstone Cup August 8th Handicap (1,100m) to record his second victory for the calendar year, after riding 12 winners in the 2025-26 Hong Kong season.
The meeting was the second of Chadwick’s month-long stint, with the first seeing both of his rides return unplaced at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
Australian jockey Orman will ride at three coming Brisbane metropolitan meetings in August, including two at Eagle Farm and one at Doomben.
“I’m having a good break. I don’t know who I’m riding for yet; I’ll find out on Wednesday. It’s mainly just to have a few rides to stay fit and keep my weight in check for a few weeks,” Orman said.
The three-time consecutive Brisbane premiership-winning jockey has enjoyed a stellar season in Hong Kong with 32 winners during his first full term, after arriving in the city towards the end of the 2024-25 season and collecting 13 wins.
Ho’s Shergar Cup warm-up
Vincent Ho Chak-yiu has warmed up with a ride at the 2026 Goodwood Festival ahead of captaining Hong Kong’s Shergar Cup team at Ascot on Saturday.
Ho had one ride at the festival on the George Baker-trained Alcaraz in the Class Three Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap (1,800m), where he returned winless.
However, the multiple Group One-winning jockey will have another chance to strike before Shergar Cup day when he lines up on Ultrasoul for Roger Varian at Southwell on Thursday.
Hong Kong’s first Shergar Cup team is completed by fellow home-grown jockey Jerry Chau Chun-lok and South African Luke Ferraris, coinciding with the first time that the Shergar Cup has been included in the World Pool.
The first of the six races to be simulcast will commence at 8.35pm Hong Kong Time, following announcements of final declarations and barrier draws on Friday.
Ka Ying Rising
The world’s best sprinter is right on-song for his first assignment of the season in the Group Three HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) on opening day at Sha Tin on September 6.
David Hayes’ nine-time Group One winner has been enjoying a break at the club’s Conghua facilities as he looks to extend his unbeaten streak of 20 wins in the coming campaign.
“He’s had a good holiday. He’s been doing work for the last six weeks and will start galloping next week. The plan is to give him two trials before the opening day of the season,” Hayes said.
After recently receiving joint Hong Kong Horse of the Year honours at the Champion Awards alongside Romantic Warrior, Ka Ying Rising will now look to defend his title in the AUD$20 million Group One Everest at Randwick in October ahead of vying for his third Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) victory in December.
All-weather track reopens
The large all-weather track at Sha Tin reopened for training last Friday after a short hiatus. Club officials, trainers and assistant trainers celebrated the start of trackwork with a champagne toast in preparation for the new season.
