Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday (1 October) when his stable star Fast Network (125lb) blitzed an impressive field under Alexis Badel, who won the contest for a third time.

Badel won the race last season aboard Beauty Waves (135lb), who faded to sixth place under champion jockey Zac Purton in a tame defence of his crown. The Frenchman said this time around he had pursued the ride on Fast Network as he rated his chances highly.

“I knew he’d be a very strong contender in this race, so I was chasing the ride, and I’m grateful that the connections and the trainer gave me the confidence of the ride,” Badel said. “It’s always nice to deliver. I thought he won brilliantly. I probably hit the front too soon because of the draw, but he had plenty to offer. It was great.”

The son of Wrote was ridden under a hold until the last 200m when he was unleashed by Badel and quickly loomed to the head of the field along the outside.

“He’s a late finisher, this horse,” Yip said, “So in the early stages, I told the jockey not to push him a lot. Just leave him alone, let him relax and then he will finish the last 300 (metres).

A triumphant Yip acknowledged the improvement in his five-year-old charge and switched his focus to further Group success down the line.

“He’s a very honest horse. Since his last race (the Class 2 Tai Mo Shan Handicap, 1400m), his form has improved a lot in Conghua,” Yip said. “I think at the end of the month, there is a Group 2 1200 (metres) for him (Premier Bowl, Handicap). I think that’s my target for him,” Yip added.

Jockeys’ championship pacesetter Purton registered a National Day treble to take his tally for the season to 13.

The first leg of his trio of wins came aboard 24-race maiden Ragnarr (130lb), who finally got off the mark with victory in the Class 5 Nanning Handicap (1200m).

The six-year-old had threatened a breakthrough for trainer David Hall in recent weeks, following two runner-up showings last term and a first-up third at Happy Valley in September. A return to Sha Tin for the first time in seven outings and a reunion with Purton proved just the tonic for the son of Olympic Glory. A typically calculated ride from Purton left a fast-closing Ragnarr with one to pass at 150-metre mark. He did so with some in hand.

A plan came together in the Class 5 Jinan Handicap (1800m) for trainers’ championship front-runner David Hayes and his seasoned campaigner Oriental Smoke (135lb). The class-dropper’s last three wins have come at Class 4, and all seven of his career victories have come under Purton – by design, Hayes revealed.

“I only ever put Zac on when (Oriental Smoke) is ready, and he was running in the shorter races to get into Class 4,” he said.

A good servant to Hayes’ yard, the handler said this might be his last time under the winner’s arch.

“Zac said, actually, he doesn’t feel so good. He’s an old boy, so if he’s pulled up a little bit sore, we might consider retiring (him) because I love these old horses winning in their last run. It’s very nice. We’ll see how he is tomorrow,” Hayes said.

Purton’s treble was sealed with a fine steer on the Class 4 Chengdu Handicap (1400m) favourite Invincible Ibis (132lb). Held up at the back of the field, the progressive four-year-old, who was still without a career win, surged to score emphatically, blazing a trail through the centre of the track to salute by two lengths.

“It was never going to be easy from gate 14,” handler Mark Newnham said, “But his best performances have been when he’s got to the outside. It’s the best way to ride this horse.

“He’s always shown enough talent (for me to know) that when he’s got up to the right distance in the right circumstances, he’d put it together, and he put it together really well today.”

On a red-letter day for veteran gallopers, Healthy Happy (131lb) – at nine years old – rose to claim the Class 2 Beijing Handicap (1400m), his first win in a little over two years, for trainer Frankie Lor.

Two-pound claiming apprentice Jerry Chau successfully lifted the 44-start veteran – who won the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) in 2021 – to a surprise win at odds of 21/1 over market leaders Steps Ahead (125lb) and Hong Lok Golf (134lb).

Britney Wong claimed the opener, the Class 5 Shenyang Handicap (1400m), following a confident ride aboard Tsuen Wan Glory (123lb) for Manfred Man. Drawn 12, she motored across to head the field before finding the rail. She was never in danger as she took her third win of the season by two-and-a-half lengths going away.

A race-to-race double for Man was completed in the second section of the Class 4 Chongqing Handicap (1200m) when Hugh Bowman got home on the favourite Aurora Patch (131lb), with the five-year-old claiming his first win of the season.

Chris So and Andrea Atzeni combined to take out the first section of the Class 4 Chongqing Handicap (1200m) following a determined showing from first-time winner Sunny Q (118lb). From the foot of the weights, the five-year-old weaved through the field a furlong out and overhauled favourite Do Your Part (134lb) on the nod, denying jockey Keagan De Melo a first winner of the season.

Winning doubles were sealed for jockey and trainer when Hall-trained Kempes (117lb) – a Group 1 winner in Argentina – got up to snatch the Class 3 Shanghai Handicap (1200m) on the line under Atzeni.

After flattering to deceive in the first seven outings of his young Hong Kong career, the 2023 G1 Estrellas Juvenile (1600m) winner broke his duck after rallying from the tail of the field to seize his local maiden victory by a nose.

Newnham completed a double of his own in the fixture-closing Class 3 Tianjin Handicap (1400m) when his trainee Max Que (117lb) prevailed by a short head over Silvery Breeze (126lb) for David Eustace.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Saturday (4 October).