Shum's Stable Seeks Festive Fortune at Sha Tin
With Christmas just around the corner, racegoers in Hong Kong will be hoping for some timely cheer as the action returns to Sha Tin on Saturday, 19 December 2025, for an 11-race programme. The meeting, which reverts to its traditional Saturday slot, features the Class Two Ivy Handicap and could provide the perfect opportunity for punters to top up their balances for the festive season.
Trainer in Form After Midweek Misfortune
This follows a tumultuous midweek meeting at Happy Valley where favourites were repeatedly turned over, leaving bettors disappointed. In stark contrast, trainer Danny Shum is enjoying a spectacular run of form. Fresh from celebrating Romantic Warrior's victory in the LONGINES HKIR Cup last Sunday, Shum has saddled five winners this month alone. This surge places him just one win behind championship leaders Mark Newnham and Caspar Fownes, with a total of 24 victories for the season.
All eyes will be on his stable this Saturday as he unleashes two key contenders with strong chances of adding to his tally.
Gorgeous Win Aims for Ivy Handicap Glory
The stable's main hope is Gorgeous Win in the featured Ivy Handicap over six furlongs at 9.05am. The gelding is seeking to follow up a recent success on the all-weather surface, where he defeated rivals Bottomuptogether and Invincible Shield. While switching to turf presents a different challenge, his record at this time of year is compelling.
A five-time course-and-distance winner, Gorgeous Win has a remarkable form line in December and January over the past two seasons, reading 221 and 121. This strong seasonal pattern makes him a serious contender to surprise the field once again.
Wolf Coming Poised for a Big Run
Later on the card, at 9.40am, stablemate Wolf Coming lines up in the Spruce Handicap over seven furlongs. Formerly known as Qetaifan when trained by Andrew Balding in the UK, the horse showed significant promise on only his third Hong Kong start last month. Despite racing very wide throughout, he closed powerfully to finish seventh behind the smart Sky Joy, posting the fastest closing sectional times in the race.
Now equipped with blinkers again and benefiting from a better draw, Wolf Coming is fancied at attractive odds to give the Shum yard a day to remember and potentially a lucrative double.
Saturday Pointers:
- Gorgeous Win (e/w) – 9.05am, Sha Tin
- Wolf Coming (e/w) – 9.40am, Sha Tin
