The 2025 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races has received a world-class entry list, comprising 185 horses and crowned by 70 individual Group 1 winners, all chasing end-of-year glory at the ‘Turf World Championships’ on 14 December at Sha Tin.

Offering record prize money of HK$130 million, Hong Kong, China’s outstanding showpiece has drawn entries from five continents for four elite Group 1 races – the HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m). 

Romantic Warrior, Ka Ying Rising, Voyage Bubble, Tastiera, Calandagan, Minnie Hauk, Via Sistina, Rebel’s Romance, Soul Rush, Croix Du Nord, Los Angeles and Goliath are among the headline entries. Japan has the most nominations from overseas with 50 entries – topped by 19 individual Group 1 winners – while horses from France, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Germany, the United States of America and Chile also feature.

Hong Kong’s global champions Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising spearhead the home side’s defence. Romantic Warrior – the city’s brilliant 10-time Group 1 winner – aims to capture a record-extending fourth LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, while the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising – winner of the 2025 G1 The Everest (1200m) – seeks a second successive LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint triumph.

Five-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble – Hong Kong’s second Triple Crown hero in history after River Verdon (1993/94) – chases a second win at the lucrative meeting and is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Rising star My Wish – last-start victor of the 2025 HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) and leading player from last season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series – aims to continue his ascendance with a LONGINES Hong Kong Mile entry. 

Tomodachi Kokoroe – the second-fastest horse over 1200m in Hong Kong after Ka Ying Rising – is entered alongside his stablemate in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. The seven-year-old clocked 1m 07.39s when winning the 2025 HK$5.35 million G2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m), just shy of Ka Ying Rising’s record mark (1m 07.20s).

Helios Express placed in four Group 1 races behind Ka Ying Rising last season and the six-year-old is entered in this year’s LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, while 2025 HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Cap Ferrat comes back in distance for the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Lucky Sweynesse, Galaxy Patch, Red Lion, Beauty Joy, Copartner Prance, Straight Arron, Beauty Waves, La City Blanche, Bundle Award, Lucky With You, Chancheng Glory, Fast Network, Happy Together, Moments In Time, Pray For Mir, Packing Hermod, Raging Blizzard, Beauty Eternal, Invincible Sage, Massive Sovereign, Rubylot, Wunderbar and Ensued are also in the mix for LONGINES Hong Kong International Races selection. 

Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted with the entries and support from our international friends for the 2025 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. Hong Kong’s very best horses will once again face off with world racing’s elite, setting the scene for another incredible day of sporting action at Sha Tin on 14 December.

“Our global champions Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising will both aim to enhance their standing among the very best of world racing, while rising star My Wish continues to impress on his mission towards the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races with Group 2 and Group 3 wins. We are confident that this year’s entry will deliver yet another memorable LONGINES Hong Kong International Races – which sees a record purse of HK$130 million up for grabs across the four Group 1 contests.”

Japan’s entry is topped by Group 1 stars Tastiera, Satono Reve, Lugal, Win Carnelian, Soul Rush, Jantar Mantar, Embroidery, Croix Du Nord, Stellenbosch, Museum Mile, Admire Zoom, Cervinia, Champagne Color, Brede Weg, Durezza, Sol Oriens, Bellagio Opera, Urban Chic and Ascoli Piceno.

Trainer Noriyuki Hori has Tastiera and Satono Reve among his four entries. Satono Reve has placed in two Group 1s behind Ka Ying Rising, while Tastiera, winner of the 2025 G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), is expected to tackle Romantic Warrior once more after his third to Hong Kong’s middle-distance star in the 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

First and second in September’s G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m), Win Carnelian and June Blair, are entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. Soul Rush, winner of April’s G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) over Romantic Warrior may return for a third time to contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile after finishing fourth (2023) and second (2024).

Joining Tastiera with entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup is Sunday Racing’s 2025 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2400m) hero Croix Du Nord and 2025 G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, 2000m) champion Museum Mile.

Triumphant in Japan, Saudi Arabia and France, Byzantine Dream could make his first Hong Kong appearance with an entry for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. The chestnut was fifth in the 2025 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m).

Durezza – second in the 2024 G1 Japan Cup (2400m) and third in the 2025 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) – is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase along with 2024 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger, 3000m) winner Urban Chic.

Enjoying an exceptional 2025 with 12 Group 1 victories, French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has five entries for this year’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races: Calandagan, Goliath, Quisisana, Roshvar and Sahlan.

Triple Group 1 winner Calandagan, triumphant last start in the G1 Champion Stakes (1993m) at Ascot in Great Britain, has entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase along with Quisisana. Goliath is entered for the same races, although with the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase listed first.

Successful over Rosallion in September’s G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1600m), three-year-old colt Sahlan is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile – a race not won by a French challenger since the great Jim And Tonic (1998).

Racing legend Andre Fabre has four entries: Junko, Sosie, Bright Picture and Casapueblo. Junko won the 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase and may contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, while Sosie, third in the 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe could hunt a fourth LONGINES Hong Kong Vase for Fabre after successes with Borgia (1999), Flintshire (2014) and Junko.

Jerome Reynier may field Group 1 winners Lazzat and Facteur Cheval, while another LONGINES Hong Kong Vase winner, Giavellotto (2024), is entered to defend his crown after finishing fourth in October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s powerhouse operation, Godolphin, has two entries from trainer Charlie Appleby with the remarkable Rebel’s Romance and Notable Speech. The former has an entry for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, while Notable Speech could contest the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

Legendary Irishman Aidan O’Brien – a three-time LONGINES Hong Kong Vase winner with Highland Reel (2015 & 2017) and Mogul (2020) – has five nominated as he aims to build on his 25 Group 1 races already won this year: Minnie Hauk, Los Angeles, Queenstown, The Lion In Winter and Bedtime Story.

Minnie Hauk, O’Brien’s standout three-year-old and exceptional winner of the 2025 G1 Oaks Stakes (2405m), 2025 G1 Yorkshire Oaks (2381m), 2025 G1 Irish Oaks (2400m) and runner-up in the 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

The Irish entry also comprises Al Riffa for trainer Joseph O’Brien as well as Amo Racing’s Group 1 winners Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte.

A total of 22 horses are entered from Great Britain, including Dubai Honour in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. Group 1 winners Big Mojo and Khaadem have entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, while recent G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1600m) hero Cicero’s Gift is entered for the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile along with Docklands. 

Leading Australian-based handler Chris Waller has entered dual G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) winner Via Sistina (2024 & 2025) for both the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. Waller also has Buckaroo, Lindermann, Birdman, Kovalica, Militarize, Land Legend, River Of Stars and Valiant King represented. Bjorn Baker’s Group 1-winning duo Stefi Magnetica and Arapaho are also entered from Australia. 

Via Sistina could be joined by Treasurethe Moment, with trainer Matt Laurie preferencing the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile for his four-time Group 1-winning mare.

Ciaron Maher’s Light Infantry Man, winner of the 2025 G1 Australian Cup (2000m) in Melbourne, is entered to run in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Bahrain’s entries are 2025 FWD QEII Cup-third Calif and Sovereign Spirit, while Qatar’s entry is Wathnan Racing-owned Silawi in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. 

Germany has entered Cold Heart and Geography, while the United States of America has six Group 1 winners – Gold Phoenix, Rhetorical, One Stripe, Johannes, Howard Wolowitz and She Feels Pretty – among 12. Chile – yet to be represented at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races – could have its first runner in Gran Oriente.