Apprentice Ellis Wong graduated into Hong Kong’s senior jockey ranks at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (25 February) as fellow homegrown riders Angus Chung and Jerry Chau showcased their talent at the city circuit.

Caspar Fownes predicted a bright future for 25-year-old Wong after Lucky Generations (119lb) claimed a short-head victory over Oriental Surprise (121lb) in the Class 5 Bowen Handicap (1200m) to hand the apprentice his 70th Hong Kong victory – a milestone which triggered his graduation.

“He’s (Wong) so deserving of that and I’m very proud of him,” Fownes said. “He’s come a long way and worked very hard. I’ve always believed in him, and we’ve always given him opportunities.

“I honestly think that he’s going to make it in the jockey ranks in the years going forward. He can only improve and it’s also great that we’re going to have Joao (Moreira) in our stable in the last three months (of the season) to help him and teach him a few things. He’s a great kid.”

Trained by Fownes, Lucky Generations maintained a solid sprint under Wong to deny eight-champion jockey Zac Purton on Oriental Surprise, formally sealing Wong’s promotion to senior ranks with his allowance to drop from five pounds to three this Sunday (1 March).

Wong rode 88 winners in South Australia before returning to Hong Kong during the 2022/23 season, opening his Hong Kong account aboard Fownes-trained Storm Legend in May 2023 and has since made solid headway, predominantly with Fownes’ backing.

Supported by his family at Happy Valley tonight, Wong thanked Fownes and Amy Chan, the Headmistress of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School where Wong first learned the ropes.

“I’m so happy I can ride this winner (Lucky Generations) for my boss,” Wong said. “This is a special feeling, and he (Fownes) is a very good teacher, and I want to thank Amy and the Apprentice Jockeys’ School and, of course, my family for all their support.”

Chung, 29, scored a double as the winner of the 2023/24 Tony Cruz Award for the leading homegrown rider prevailed on Danny Shum’s Legend Star (113lb), who recorded his second course and distance victory of the season with a powerful finishing surge to claim the second section of the Class 4 Kennedy Handicap (1200m).

Chung then teamed with Cruz’s Outgate (115lb) to take the second section of the Class 3 Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1200m).

Preparing to saddle Romantic Warrior in the HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 March), Shum also fired in a double when My Day My Way (118lb) won the first section of the Class 3 Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1200m) for Lyle Hewitson.

In the midst of a strong season, Chau edged to closer to breaking into the top three in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship when Cody Mo’s Stormi (132lb) completed a hat-trick of victories with success in the Class 4 Robinson Handicap (1650m).

Chau, 25, has already eclipsed last season’s haul of 23 wins and Stormi’s defiant all-the-way triumph gave Chau his 25th spoil of the campaign to leave him trailing only Zac Purton (79), Hugh Bowman (35) and Andrea Atzeni (29) after 49 of 88 meetings.

“It was a tough effort (from Stormi), we got a smooth lead and now that he’s getting more mature and settling down during the race, when he was challenged, he fought back really well,” Chau said. “He’s improved with every race and he gets himself into a good rhythm.”

David Hayes moved into second place in the trainers’ championship behind Fownes (37 wins) with 36 victories when Soleil Fighter (130lb) led all the way to snare the Class 2 Magazine Gap Handicap (1800m) under Hugh Bowman.

“He’s such a good Happy Valley horse. I just thought he pulled a bit at Sha Tin the other day. In England, he did win over 1800m, so I thought with the small field, if he got an easy run, he would be hard to catch,” Hayes said.

Dennis Yip and Derek Leung combined with Northern Fire Ball (127lb) to land the first section of the Class 4 Kennedy Handicap (1200m) before Rainbow Seven (120lb) rebounded from a recent bout of poor luck to effortlessly land the Class 4 The Volunteers’ Challenge Cup Handicap (1200m) for Francis Lui and Maxime Guyon.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 March) with the running of the HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m).