Hong Kong’s world-class racing is renowned for its excellence and high achievement and on Monday (19 October) three trainers – David Eustace, Dennis Yip and James Cummings – posted significant milestones.
David enjoyed the most successful meeting of his flourishing Hong Kong career with a treble crowned by his first Group 2 victory in the city with LIGHT YEARS CHARM taking out the G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m), while also scoring with emerging talents SHANNON GLOW and ACE EAGLE.
David has assembled a quality team, headed by COLOURFUL KING and LIGHT YEARS CHARM, while he has several promising youngsters who could figure in the lucrative Four-Year-Old Classic Series deliberations.
Now into his third season, David currently sits second in the 2026/27 trainers’ championship with 10 wins behind Pierre Ng as he continues to build momentum.
While David continues an emerging path, Dennis joined an elite band of trainers to saddle 900 Hong Kong winners with the victory of SUPREME VOYAGER at the weekend. Dennis is another graduate of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School, first serving as a jockey between 1984 and 1993, riding 59 winners.
Since turning his hand to training, Dennis has experienced the ultimate success in Hong Kong, claiming the 2012/13 Hong Kong trainers’ championship when securing the title from Tony Cruz by winning the last race of the season.
More recently, Dennis produced MASSIVE SOVEREIGN to a record-breaking success in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m). With his 900th winner, Dennis joins John Moore (1,735 wins), John Size (1,668), Tony Cruz (1,618), Caspar Fownes (1,244), Ricky Yiu (1,115), Francis Lui (1,044) and Danny Shum (944) in reaching a colossal landmark.
James enjoyed tremendous success in Australia with more than 1,500 victories, including 50 Group 1s, before transferring to Hong Kong. He has taken a patient approach to his first season and GRAND EAGLE was only his 12th runner.
James currently has 58 horses in his stable and, with a large number of those yet to race, he will be hoping to maximise his stable’s output as the season unfolds.
I congratulate David, Dennis and James on their milestones.
Source: HKJC