FWD Champions Day 2026 review: Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising star in Hong Kong

Normally I start my review of a race day in Hong Kong with a list of prices for entry, food, drink and so on, but we all know by now that it is far better value here.

UK racecourses seem oblivious to my attempts to embarrass them (or just don’t care), and the world moves on. 

The argument, understandably given, is that Hong Kong can afford it with its Paris-Mutuel monopoly on the betting, and that may be correct, but interestingly, we may soon find out.

I reported a few years back on the new state-of-the-art training facility built at great expense by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at Conghua in mainland China, to my eyes a mirror image of Sha Tin, and after very positive feedback from trainers and owners alike, they have their first race meeting there planned for October this year in front of visiting dignitaries and officials.

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Chinese interest in equestrian

If all goes to plan, then a month later, they will have their second meeting (open to the public), with every chance they will transfer a race or two from Sha Tin’s International trials day there, which may include Ka Ying Rising.

Interestingly, betting is not allowed in China, so all meetings at Conghua will be minus the punter element, but speaking to Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, that won’t be a problem.

There is so much interest in all things equestrian in China that sponsors and partners are chomping at the bit (sorry) to get involved early doors, with the long term plan expected to see a burgeoning thoroughbred industry, jobs for stable staff and top-class local jockeys coming through the ranks with (my guess) more racecourses to follow over the year ahead – trust me, if Winfried says is will work it will, and  I am pretty convinced that if you saw his dictionary the word failure has been crossed out.

However, what really interests me is the very concept of racing without betting, a totally alien thought at home in the UK.

Why shouldn’t people enjoy racing without having a bet (if they want to)? I watch football, golf, rugby, and so on without being tempted, and although I don’t want to see us going that way, perhaps we could learn from Hong Kong and look to attract a lot more “bet-free” racing fans?

Before the races

On to my day at the races, and as well as the horses, I do like to play “spot the difference” – what do they do differently here that we could at least consider?

On walking in, Sha Tin is generally cleaner and lighter than most tracks I get to visit, well signposted, and with an overriding atmosphere that racing is fun.

No great surprise to see plenty of advertising for sponsors FWD in bright orange, including selfie opportunities (if you like that sort of thing), as they look to attract the next generation.

We may have live bands at our meetings occasionally but they are always post-race, whereas here we had both “K pop powerhouse” Hwasa from South Korea (who has 9 millions followers on Instagram) and local Cantopop singer Pakho Chau (1.5 million followers) bringing in the  “youngsters” for the opening ceremony over an hour before the first race – maybe that is something we could consider in the UK sometime in the future as a sensible marketing ploy?

On to the racing, and I doubt anyone falls over in shock when I tell you I am enjoying and watching the earlier handicaps – but I am not opening the wallet when it would take years to remotely comprehend the form.

Suffice to say that by the time we came to the first of the Group Ones (Race 5), we had seen four winning jockeys and four successful trainers on a tough card.

The first two winners had seen some serious money before the off, tightening their returns considerably, and so far in the UK we would have called them victories for the punter – but with no bookmakers here, that is not quite the case.

The Chairman’s Sprint Prize

All eyes here were on Ka Ying Rising as the cross-generation arguments continue – is he better than Black Caviar (queue Australian abuse), should he be rated even higher, and even is he the best we have ever seen?

Defeat was impossible according to the betting (Paris-Mutuel only here and a last-second price of 1.05 or 1/20 – which is the shortest allowed), and as the gates opened, there was still over $HKD97,000,000 in the win pool.

As with all champions (and I do not use that phrase lightly), there will always be a slight unease just in case anything goes wrong, but safe to say – it didn’t.

Hitting the front as he pleased at the 250mtrs mark (roughly) after racing in third early on, he won eased down by four and a quarter lengths, beating Japan’s top sprinter Satono Reve with authority and with no whip needed even as a reminder.

If you get a chance to watch the replay, please do – then note that he broke his own course record, ran the final 400mtrs in 21.72 (his fastest ever), and wasn’t ever really asked a serious question.

Only a five-year-old, I honestly believe he can get considerably better, with a repeat bid for the Everest in Australia next on the horizon.

The FWD Champions Mile

Although I opted for Docklands as my each way suggestion, I always felt this was the toughest race to call on the day, and it was going to have to be pretty special to top the excitement created by the World’s top sprinter, regardless.

As many of you will know by now, the race went to My Wish (who was anything but my wish) under Hugh Bowman in a pulsating finish as he beat Cap Ferrat by a nose with Docklands holding on for third and landing a place part of my bet (4.8/1 the place here 18/1 SP UK) to add to the forecast we had in race one.

My Wish had already won the Classic Mile in January last year and earned close to £3 million in prize money, so perhaps I should have rated him more highly, but the truth is I didn’t, and I doubt I would back him in the replay either!

Strauss and Jantar Mantar were two others whom I mentioned in the preview, but they finished third and second from last, respectively, so at least I picked the best of that trio.

FWD QEII Cup

We were so, so close to the full house here with main tip Romantic Warrior winning and Royal Champion missing the place by one spot in fourth, but there is more to the race than a winning or losing bet.

Those looking for excuses will tell you the race was run at a crawl from the front, and to be fair, the pace did not suit either Sosie or Masquerade Ball, who stayed further, but then again, it’s up to their jockeys to take them along if necessary – and they failed that particular test. 

Numbers and Giovanni towed them along for the majority of the contest with the jolly travelling sweetly in fourth under James McDonald and yet to be asked a question.

When he was asked to quicken and go and win his race, the acceleration was instant, and the race was over in a matter of strides.

Poor Royal Champion travelled in third throughout before being relegated one more space after Japanese raider Masquerade Ball and Andre Fabre’s Sosie stayed on strongly late on to snatch the minor places, albeit beaten a length and a length and a half at the line.

Top drawer

Make no mistake, this was as good a Group One as you will see for a long time, with a Japan Cup second (Masquerade Ball), four-time Group One winner and Arc placed (Sosie) and Neom Cup winner (Royal Champion) upgrading the form, but Hong Kong’s darling simply put them in their place, and he deserves far more recognition around the world for just how good he really is.

I suspect his current international rating of 127 has to go up to 130 at least, and if he was trained in Europe, possibly higher.

Do connections care – probably not if he keeps winning races worth £1.6 million to the winner, but between him, Ka Ying Rising, and My Wish, no-one can question the Hong Kong ecosystem anymore, their horses are straight out of the top drawer.

Sean Trivass attended the FWD races as a guest of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (thank you) but was not paid or influenced by them to write this article.

READ MORE: FWD Champions Day 2026 preview: Ka Ying Rising headlines as global stars descend on Hong Kong