Preparing to bid for a record fourth HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) victory with Romantic Warrior at Sha Tin next week, Danny Shum vaulted into third place in the Hong Kong trainers’ championship with a treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (15 April).

Shum struck with Always My Folks (128lb) under Zac Purton in the Class 5 Celebrating 50 Years Of The HK Sevens Handicap (1000m), Hugh Bowman aboard Fantastic Fun (135lb) in the Class 4 Winning Try Handicap (1650m) and Harmony Galaxy (128lb) in the Class 4 Successful Conversion Handicap (1800m) for Brenton Avdulla to enhance hopes of a maiden trainers’ title.

Shum took his tally for the season to 45 wins to trail only Mark Newnham (48) and Caspar Fownes (48) after leapfrogging David Hayes (44) but concedes he has a significant challenge to secure the championship.

“Hopefully I can keep going, it’s been a good period. I don’t have that many good Sha Tin horses so it will be hard (to win the title) but I will try my best,” said Shum, as he hailed Avdulla’s ride on Harmony Galaxy.

“He ran a really good race, but it was a world-class performance by Brenton. He (Harmony Galaxy) loves this track and distance.”

Hayes maintained hopes of a third trainers’ title with double in tandem with Harry Bentley – World Hero (123lb) in the Class 4 One City Two Passions Handicap (1200m) and All Round Winner (118lb) in the Class 3 Scrum Half Handicap (1650m).

Hayes was impressed with Bentley’s displays.

“He’s riding really well for me,” Hayes said, while Bentley praised World Hero.

“It was a good performance, obviously being drawn wide (gate 12) was a concern beforehand but he’s a horse who does go forward and he’s got early speed, so we were able to get into a good early position and the pace backed off down the back straight,” Bentley said.

“He filled his lungs up and kicked really well around the bend. He’s a horse who’s coming into a good vein of form and he quickened up nicely.”

Caspar Fownes and Joao Moreira combined successfully when Moreira weaved a tight passage on Family Fortune (128lb) to land the Class 5 Celebrating 40 Years Of The HKFC10s Handicap (1650m), drawing rich praise from the trainer.

“I don’t think many other jockeys here could have got the same result – that’s just the way it is. It was a masterpiece,” Fownes said. “That’s why we’ve got him here, bringing us the goods. He’s got a great work ethic, he’s a great team player and a great rider – what more can I say? He’s a great man.”

Eight-time champion jockey Purton sealed a double when John Size’s Beauty Alliance (135lb) prevailed in the Class 3 Hong Kong China Rugby Cup Handicap (1650m) before Bowman matched his compatriot’s feat with success on Jamie Richards-trained Storming Dragon (135lb) in the Class 4 Racing With Rugby Handicap (1200m).

The double left Purton on 98 wins and on the cusp of riding 100 winners or more in a season for the 10th straight campaign and the 11th time overall.

Richards was delighted with Bowman’s ride on Storming Dragon.

“I said to Hugh before the race to have an open mind, the horse doesn’t need to be ridden quietly all the time and I think when Northern Fire Ball was scratched at the barrier it actually helped us get across easier from a wide draw (gate nine),” Richards said.

“I was reading the paper this morning, and I saw that there was a two per cent winning strike rate from barrier 11 on the ‘A course’ and I was furious, but thankfully the horse has done a good job, and Hugh gave him a beautiful ride.”

Angus Chung and Tony Cruz closed the programme in style when Do You Just (120lb) clinched the Class 3 Golden Point Handicap (1200m) to claim a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million.

By So You Think, the three-year-old won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie Racecourse when he was trained in New Zealand by Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott before export to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (19 April).