Five Hong Kong trainers surpassed HK$100 million in prize money during the recently concluded season. In descending order, they were Danny Shum, David Hayes, Mark Newnham, John Size and Francis Lui.
Hayes had the heaviest workload among the quintet, sending out 672 runners over the course of the campaign. By comparison, Shum had only 530 runners yet still finished runner-up in the trainers’ championship and topped the prize-money standings—an impressive achievement that underlined the efficiency of his stable.
Caspar Fownes claimed the trainers’ championship with 69 wins, securing the title for the fifth time in his career. Despite finishing on top of the win table, his stable earned only around HK$85 million in prize money, leaving him some way behind the five trainers who broke the nine-figure barrier.
The difference largely reflected the type of races won by the Fownes stable. Many of its victories came in middle-class contests at Happy Valley, where the prize money was generally lower than that offered in group and major races.
In contrast, Shum was represented by Romantic Warrior, while Hayes had sprinting superstar Ka Ying Rising. Newnham also benefited from the lucrative campaigns of Invincible Ibis and My Wish. Their substantial earnings in major races helped their respective stables pull clear of the chasing pack.
The season was Newnham’s third since establishing his Hong Kong stable, and his prize-money total has increased year by year. Breaking through the HK$100 million mark represented another new high for the Australian trainer.
At the other end of the standings, Michael Chang recorded the lowest win total with 16 victories, just enough to satisfy the licensing benchmark. Interestingly, the Hong Kong Jockey Club had already informed Chang that his trainer’s licence would be renewed for next season when he reached his 15th win, suggesting the Club remained confident in the experienced horseman.
James Cummings will join the Hong Kong training ranks next season. Whether the high-profile Australian can make an immediate impact or ultimately flatter to deceive will be one of the major storylines for racing fans to follow.