THREE FROM THREE - WHAT A DAY FOR HK RACING!

By Darren Winningham | Monday, April 27, 2026

FWD Champions Day 2026 was sold as the showdown of the “Two Titans” — Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior — but Hong Kong racing had something bigger in mind. In a city where they bet on the double trio and the triple trio — tickets that almost never salute — the impossible suddenly felt routine.

Because once again, Hong Kong’s own have swept the feature races.

They did it in 2022, 2023 and 2024. They were desperately unlucky not to do it in 2025, with Romantic Warrior chasing global glory in Dubai. But in 2026, the hometown heroes restored order, scooping up the lion’s share of the HK$78 million on offer.

And what a trio it was:

Chairman’s Sprint Prize – Ka Ying Rising (Zac Purton, David Hayes)
FWD Champions Mile – My Wish (Hugh Bowman, Mark Newnham)
FWD QEII Cup – Romantic Warrior (James McDonald, Danny Shum)

Three races. Three champions. Three Australian jockeys. Two expat trainers and one homegrown star. A Triple Trio of the highest class.

If you boxed those three in a bet, you will not be retiring on Monday – back to work we all go!

The HKJC CEO, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, captured the moment perfectly at the post-meeting press conference, “I believe this was what we humbly say is the greatest show on turf, and this is what we aim for.”

Mr Andrew Harding, HKJC Executive Director, Racing, summed up the day with the clarity it deserved: “We want to provide excellent racing. Our fans deserve that and we ought to deliver it to them. The quality of the horses that came to compete today is absolutely key to that.”

The 41,278 fans on course certainly felt it — a day where history was created and we witnessed greatness. Beyond Sha Tin, millions more watched from around the world, witnessing yet another chapter in Hong Kong’s extraordinary FWD Champions Day legacy.

Three from three. A clean sweep. A big statement to the world equine industry.

In the end, it wasn’t just the trophies, the prizemoney, or the headlines that defined FWD Champions Day 2026 — it was the feeling. The roar rolling off the grandstand. The three champions standing tall. The sense that Hong Kong racing had once again risen to the moment and owned it completely.

What a day!

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