Francis Lui saddles three runners in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 February) as he attempts to challenge Ka Ying Rising in his bid to win an 18th consecutive race and set a Hong Kong record.

Lui’s in-form stable boasts 14 winners from the last 10 meetings, and a post-New Year surge has seen him climb to fifth in the trainers’ rankings for 2025/26.

The handler will saddle Copartner Prance, Packing Hermod and Patch Of Theta in Sunday’s feature race, which is carded as Race 8 and will be run at 4.35pm, with David Hayes’ sprint superstar seeking the second leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series against a field featuring two other Group 1 winners.

Of Lui’s three entrants, it is Hong Kong International Sale graduate Patch Of Theta that stands out with six wins over 1400m, including a last-start win in Class 1 company earlier this month. Maxime Guyon’s mount jumps from gate six.

“This horse is good; he always holds his condition,” Lui said. “His form is good. I feel he’s best just between 1400 (metres) and a mile (1600m). At the moment, he looks like 1400 is his best distance.

“Getting in the prize money would be good on Sunday. But, of course, David Hayes’ horse (Ka Ying Rising) is outstanding,” he added.

In a field without an abundance of genuine 1400m form, Lui’s Packing Hermod also boasts a strong 1400m profile with three wins, a second and a third from eight trips at the distance. Partnered by Harry Bentley for the first time, and jumping from barrier eight in his first outing in Group 1 company, the five-year-old son of Rubick has the credentials to be competitive.

“Sometimes he’s a bit nervous before the race in the Parade Ring,” Lui said. “But he’s also okay. And he’s worked well since his last run.”

Bentley galloped the five-year-old on Thursday morning (19 February) and confirmed he was happy with the horse’s condition, saying: “He’s holding his form well, so he’s going into the race in good shape.”

“The pace is going to be pretty solid. He’s a horse that doesn’t necessarily need to be ridden that close to it, so we can just take our time and slot in,” he added. “I’d like to think I can just get in somewhere in the midfield or second half, and I’m not too worried about the draw.”

Sunday’s race represents a step up in class for the Australian-bred gelding, and Bentley was realistic about the size of the task.

“He’s tried and tested at the distance, and it’s clearly what he wants, so you’d like to think that that’s going to stand him in good stead to run a decent race,” the English rider said. “He’s up against some extremely stiff opposition.”

Copartner Prance is at an all-time high rating after two sterling efforts at the beginning of the season. A second in the G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) behind My Wish was followed by a second in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy handicap (1600m), trailing home Mark Newnham’s talented five-year-old again. James Orman takes the ride on the six-year-old and jumps from barrier nine.

Lui, the Hong Kong Champion Trainer in 2023/24, is an 11-time Group 1 winner and trained the great Golden Sixty, but the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup is one piece of silverware to have eluded him so far in a distinguished training career. Despite the high-level opposition, Sunday’s renewal is an opportunity for him to claim that first win.

Friday morning (20 February) saw an all-star barrier trial when rivals Voyage Bubble (Zac Purton) and Romantic Warrior (Karis Teetan) lined up for a 1600m turf hit-out. The 2024/25 Triple Crown champion led home last month’s G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) winner, crossing the line in 1m 38.09s ahead of Romantic Warrior in 1m 38.17s. The two are due to go head-to-head in next month’s G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Sunday’s (22 February) 11-race fixture at Sha Tin commences with the Class 4 Daffodil Handicap (1000m) at 1pm.