Galaxy Patch (122lb) scored a win full of merit in Sunday’s (2 June) HK$4.2 million G3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin for jockey Vincent Ho and trainer Pierre Ng.

Knuckling down late for a courageous and deserving victory, Galaxy Patch – under a daring Ho drive – skimmed the rail to deny Francis Lui’s Chancheng Glory (116lb) by a nose in a gripping finish as 2.3 favourite in 1m 33.93s (25.21, 23.63, 23.24, 21.85).

“He deserves this win, it was just a bit risky because when I went inside Lyle (Hewitson on Chancheng Glory) sort of went out and then when I came through, he moved in a bit – I lost my momentum a little bit,” Ho said.

Second in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) this season, Galaxy Patch is now a five-time winner in Hong Kong with earnings of HK$19.78 million across 11 starts.

“I always had faith in Galaxy Patch. He’s shown at Group 1 level, just behind Golden Sixty, and he didn’t really like the wet track as well,” Ho said, referencing the horse’s fifth placing on yielding ground in the HK$22 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on FWD Champions Day (28 April).

Ng hopes the star four-year-old can maintain his ascent which has seen him climb to a career-high rating of 106 before today: “I just never know how good he will be, but definitely a top one.”

“The horse has got a very big heart and he managed to overcome that (small gap), so it’s quite a promising win. It’s a special horse who does that and the rider – of course, Vincent has the experience to do that as well.”

Beauty Joy placed third, while fellow Ng trainee Taj Dragon crossed the line in fourth. Locked in a fierce battle with Lui for the trainers’ championship, Ng leads his former mentor 61-60 after his double.   

Galaxy Patch – a gelding by Wandjina – may race one more time this season in the HK$4.2 million Premier Plate Handicap (1800m) on 23 June at Sha Tin.

“We might have a go at the 1800 metres. We need to see how he goes across the next week or two. Hopefully it doesn’t get much hotter than today, so we’ll wait and see,” Ng said.

Ng’s double began with Super Bonus, who collected the second section of the Class 4 Shing Mun River Channel Handicap (1200m) under Andrea Atzeni.

Lui put the pressure on Ng early today as King Miles returned his second career win by claiming the first section of the Class 4 Tolo Harbour Handicap (1400m) under Ho.

Atzeni later capped a brace of his own when Handsome Bomb prevailed smartly in the second section of the Class 4 Tolo Harbour Handicap (1400m) for trainer Chris So.

Young Superstar made an impressive start to life in Hong Kong. The former Singapore-trained galloper arrived as a one-time winner at Kranji. He now races for the HKJC Racing Club Limited, winning the Class 3 Fo Tan Handicap (1200m) first-up for jockey Angus Chung and trainer Tony Cruz.

“That was very impressive. He was really impressive in Singapore as well, I thought he wasn’t ready yet, maybe 70 or 80 percent fit. He beat good horses, including James Tak, it surprised me, honestly,” Chung said.

“He will be a good horse, I think, he has a good heart. He can be a little bit awkward out of the barriers, but he jumped well today. I think he’ll be very good in the future.”

Keefy netted his first win since 2022 in the Class 2 Penfold Park Handicap (1400m) for jockey Karis Teetan and trainer Frankie Lor.

Victory commenced a treble for Teetan as Ka Ying Rising claimed the HK$4.2 million G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m) for David Hayes after Lucy In The Sky scored impressively under the Mauritian in the first section of the Class 4 Shing Mun River Channel Handicap (1200m) for trainer Me Tsui, who now has 13 wins for the campaign.

Michael Chang edged to 15 wins this term as Lost Child powered to a classy success in the Class 3 Kau To Shan Handicap (1400m) under Australian rider Ben Thompson.

The Concentration surprised at odds of 30/1 in the Class 5 Ma Liu Shui Handicap under Luke Ferraris for trainer Ricky Yiu, while Happy Hero rolled to a third win by taking the Class 5 Sha Tin Hoi Handicap (2000m) for trainer Mark Newnham and Hewitson.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday (5 June).