Sunlight Power has gone from strength to strength this season and trainer Ricky Yiu is looking forward to testing his rising Capitalist gelding in Sunday’s (30 March) HK$5.35 million G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin.

Ahead of his first start at Group race level, Sunlight Power has emerged as an unlikely FWD Champions Day (Sunday, 27 April) candidate for Yiu, featuring in this weekend’s mile challenge along with stablemates Straight Arron and Nimble Nimbus.

Surging 29 rating points this term with three wins to reach a current peak mark of 103 locally, Sunlight Power has been dually entered for the HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin next month.

“He’s (Sunlight Power) rated over 100 now, so he’s against the big boys. He’s a horse who always tries very hard and gives his best. I’d be very happy if he can finish in the first three,” Yiu said.

Rated 56 in March of last year, five-year-old gelding Sunlight Power aims to give Yiu a second Chairman’s Trophy success after Mighty Giant (2021). Sunlight Power’s last two wins have come over a mile in Class 2 at Sha Tin by a combined four and a quarter lengths.

“He’s surprised me. The way the jockey (Hugh Bowman) rode him last start suits the horse and it helped him. Hugh’s on Francis’ horse (Chancheng Glory), so I’ve put Jerry (Chau) back on him,” Yiu said.

Beauty Eternal, Beauty Joy, Galaxy Patch, Chancheng Glory, Ensued, Happy Together, Red Lion, Five G Patch, La City Blanche and Moments In Time are entered against Yiu’s trio.

With six wins in Hong Kong including the 2024 HK$4.2 million G3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m), Yiu hopes Nimble Nimbus is able to regain his best form while, on Straight Arron, the trainer said: “He tries hard. He’s an older horse now but he’ll be close.”

Four-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble trialled for Yiu at Conghua on Monday morning (24 March), clocking 1m 35.06s in first position over 1600m on turf with Matthew Poon in the saddle as he prepares for next month’s HK$74 million FWD Champions Day. 

“He trialled well. We’ll run him in the Champions Mile. It’s an easier target for him and we’re optimistic about the Triple Crown,” Yiu said.

Voyage Bubble has won three Group 1 races in the 2024/25 campaign, including the first two legs of Hong Kong’s Triple Crown: HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).

The Triple Crown concludes in May with the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m), which was won easily last year by Rebel’s Romance.

A bonus worth HK$10 million is up for grabs for the horse successful in all three legs. River Verdon (1993/94) is the sole Triple Crown winner in Hong Kong racing history.

This weekend’s fixture at Sha Tin also features the HK$5.35 million G2 Sprint Cup (1200m), which features Ka Ying Rising, California Spangle, Helios Express, Lucky With You, Magic Control, Copartner Prance and Gorgeous Win.