Mark Newnham hopes Bravehearts can capitalise on favourable handicap conditions and reprise winning form when the Group 1-winning Argentine import contests the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Long Ke Handicap (2000m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (27 December).

Twice a winner over this course and distance, Bravehearts has not won since triumphed in 11 starts since winning this race at the corresponding meeting last season but Newnham is optimistic this weekend’s impost of only 115lb will spark a return to form.

“He won this race last year, so he’s down low in the weights, which will suit. He needs a truly run race because just with his racing style he gets back but he’s racing well enough and I think coming back down in weight will suit him,” the Australian said.

“He just needs the right circumstances. Two starts back, he ran really well. He just sort of lost sight of the ‘bunny’ a bit his previous start. In the small field, he won’t have as many to get past.”

Bravehearts carried 118lb to victory in the Class 2 Buffalo Bill Handicap (2000m) on 29 December, 2024 and meets only eight rivals on Saturday – Sword Point (135lb), Lo Rider (124lb), Ka Ying Generation (122lb), Awesome Fluke (119lb), Numbers (117lb), Winning Wing (117lb), Noisy Boy (115lb) and Gentlemen Legacy (115lb).

Perched on 499 Hong Kong career wins as a trainer, Frankie Lor will field Four-Year-Old Classic Series aspirant Numbers, whose creditable third on debut in Hong Kong to Helene Feeling was further franked on Wednesday night (23 December) when Helene Feeling dead-heated with Kaholo Angel.

Rated 82, Numbers ran second in the G1 Queensland Derby (2400m) in June when he raced as King Of Thunder and was trained by John O’Shea & Tom Charlton.

The Tivaci gelding will be ridden by Derek Leung from barrier four this weekend, while Pierre Ng’s 2024 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2400m) third placegetter Ka Ying Generation jumps from gate three for Luke Ferraris.

Ng believes Ka Ying Generation will continue to improve with age and is optimistic the gelding can contend strongly after his last-start eighth to Sosie in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin on 14 December.

“He’s getting more mature but we have to make sure we don’t ride him aggressively and keep him calm,” Ng said. “He will be carrying 122lb and with the small field, hopefully he can manage to bring his best form.”

David Hall hopes Magnifique (134lb) can reprise top form when the talented four-year-old resumes under James Orman in the Class 3 Sham Chung Handicap (1000m).

The Charm Spirit gelding won three of his first four starts but was sidelined after triumphing at Sha Tin on 5 July when he bled from both nostrils. He has since trialled impressively under Orman, most recently winning a 1000m turf barrier trial at Sha Tin on 16 December.

“He’s had a long time to get over his bleeding, but there’s only so much you can do with those bleeds,” Hall said. “It just comes down to whether he gets back under race pressure and can handle the stress. 

“His trials have been strong, as they were previously, so now it’s time to get back to the races and see where we are – fingers crossed he brings his best form.”

Saturday’s (27 December) Sha Tin meeting starts with the Class 4 (Restricted) Wong Chuk Wan Handicap (1400m) at 1pm.