Behind the scenes with the silent workforce powering Hong Kong’s racing champions

At Sha Tin Racecourse, a roar erupts from the stands as horses and jockeys near the winning post. All eyes are on the flying turf, the frantic whips and the Thoroughbreds thundering towards the finish. And less than a kilometre away, in quiet concrete stables, an invisible team watches the action on small television screens in their breakroom. There are no champagne celebrations here. Instead, a flurry of messages alerts the entire team to a collective success, a silent acknowledgement among the gears of a massive logistical machine that must run with clockwork precision 365 days a year. With more than 600 races held across 88 high-stakes meetings annually in the city, the path to becoming a champion is complex. To understand how a winner is born, you need to look beyond the betting slips and enter the world of the stable staff. Like my own son At the base of this operational pyramid are the stable assistants, traditionally known as “mafoos”. They maintain the most intimate, around-the-clock physical contact with the horses. For 33-year-old Henry Chan Chung-yin, this role within trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing’s yard is a vocation. Chan’s day begins while the rest of Hong Kong sleeps. “My colleagues and I are usually up after 2am to catch the staff shuttle. I’m on-site just past 3am to ensure everything is ready,” Chan said. Each assistant oversees three to four horses, spending their first 30 minutes on essential diagnostics. They check temperatures and monitor vital signs, reporting any abnormalities immediately. Only after these checks and a preliminary inspection by the trainer can the horses head out for morning exercise. Chan’s primary charge is Romantic Warrior, one of the world’s highest-earning horses. Having spent five of his nine years at the stable focused on this champion, Chan has developed a unique perspective: he views elite Thoroughbreds as family rather than economic assets. “I treat him like my own son,” Chan said. “As a stable assistant, I am essentially the horse’s nanny. From the moment I wake up, I take his temperature, arrange feedings, groom him, guide him through pool therapy, and prepare his saddle before the rider takes over. “We are caregivers in the truest sense; you have to pour your whole heart into it.” Recently, Romantic Warrior was sent to Conghua in Guangzhou for a carefully orchestrated “summer holiday” to recover from a gruelling season. As his primary caretaker, Chan also accompanied him to ensure his well-being. Chan’s philosophy is built on the premise that psychological comfort directly dictates performance. “In my view, the priority is ensuring the horse feels genuinely happy and that every movement in and out of the stable is safe,” Chan said. This involves subtle adjustments such as laying out thicker bedding or providing fresh forage. “We want them to feel completely satisfied, as this is directly linked to how much better and more relaxed they perform at full gallop,” Chan added. When a champion travels internationally, this meticulous care intensifies. Chan has accompanied Romantic Warrior to high-profile races in Australia and Dubai. International transit introduces variables that can easily disrupt a sensitive thoroughbred’s equilibrium. Chan said when they travelled to Dubai and the Middle East, preparations would begin months in advance so horses arrive early to acclimatise, thereby “maximising their potential”. “They need time to adjust; they won’t perform if they are suddenly thrown into a foreign environment,” he added. The transit itself is a trial. Horses are housed in specialised containers that can accommodate up to three animals each and are equipped with bedding, feed and water to mimic their daily environment. “We stay with the horses in the crates to provide constant company,” Chan said of the flight arrangements. “Once the plane is airborne and the horse settles, the crates are secured. We return to the passenger cabin, but we enter the cargo hold at strict, scheduled intervals throughout the flight to monitor their condition.” Upon arrival, the priority is establishing a sense of safety. “As soon as we land, we take the horse to the track to let it smell the ground,” Chan said. “Once they are familiar, we walk them around the grounds, patting their necks to help build basic calm.” Half-rider, half-supervisor While stable assistants handle the hands-on care, the role of the head lad is a hybrid of physical labour and hyper-vigilance. Jacky Chow Wing-ho serves as the vital executive hub in trainer Caspar Fownes’ yard. The 43-year-old’s role is far from purely administrative; it is, in his words, “half-rider, half-supervisor”. Unlike assistants, he must be intimately familiar with the status of all the 70-or-so horses in the yard. His day begins between 3.45am and 4am. Despite his seniority, he remains active in morning training. “As head lad, I still spend about half my morning as a rider, helping with the horses’ conditioning,” Chow said. Following track work, Chow’s “diagnostic time” begins. He conducts rigorous physical checks – inspecting stalls, legs, and hooves for any irregularities. “Sometimes a horse is restless, or prone to injury during exercise, so we must use protective gear to prevent them from kicking themselves,” he added. This pursuit of perfection stems from a simple belief: ensuring that the horse is at 100 per cent capacity before racing. If there are any signs of significant issues “the horse simply cannot run that day”. On race days, his schedule becomes even more intense, while for an evening meeting Chow said they would typically “return to the stable at 2pm for normal operations”. “If a horse is racing at 4pm, we must gather at the parade ring by 3.20pm,” Chow said. “My tasks include leading the horse, grooming it, checking the gear and awaiting the assistant trainer’s final instructions.” He highlighted a recent emergency when a horse threw a shoe on race day. “It was urgent; without intervention, the horse could have been injured on the track and would have been unable to compete.” The team acted quickly: “We cleaned and cared for the hoof immediately, then brought in a professional farrier to replace the shoe. The horse went on to run and win. When it crossed the line, all our tension turned to relief.” Chow describes himself as the bridge between management strategy and daily execution. “The assistant trainer relays the strategic objectives, and my job is to delegate these tasks and ensure every process is executed perfectly.” Having entered the Jockey Club’s apprentice school in 1999, Chow shifted to a rider role in 2001 because of weight constraints, eventually rising to head lad. To him, every position is a critical link in the chain that produces a champion. “This is another home,” he said. “You feel proud when a horse wins, knowing you contributed to that effort.” Communication and management At the execution level of daily operations is the assistant trainer, in this case it is Henry Wong Yu-hang, 35, who helps trainer Mark Newnham. After entering the apprentice school at 15 and transitioning to a rider at 21, Wong became an assistant trainer seven years ago. He usually arrives at 4.15am to patrol the yard and review reports. Wong coordinates the first batch of horses for the walking machine before tackling administrative duties, including race entries and double-checking schedules. By 8am, morning training is complete. Aside from coordinating with veterinarians, Wong meets Newnham to plan future campaigns. “After the discussion, I coordinate with jockeys. If the preferred jockey is unavailable, I prepare alternatives,” he said, adding that he also drafts the daily work list, which is finalised by midmorning. Afternoon work begins at 1.30pm, focusing on swimming and basic movement. Wong oversees these sessions, monitors states and finalises entry details. Wong views his core mission as translating the trainer’s intent into actionable results. “My role is to receive the trainer’s orders, clarify the schedule and ensure the team can execute them. The trainer handles the external decisions, sourcing owners and buying horses, while I oversee internal management.” Reflecting on his past as a rider, Wong notes the shift in responsibility. “A rider’s focus is on training and daily operations,” he said. “As an assistant trainer, my work is more about communication and management. I am the bridge between veterinarians, jockeys, owners and the trainer. “Riders are vital; they are effectively coaches who help the horse physiologically and mentally. If they are inexperienced, I must provide guidance.” He believes the yard’s distinctiveness lies in its team spirit, while the operational environment is shaped by the leader’s temperament. Under Newnham, Wong has adopted a management style centred on emotional stability. “Mark is incredibly calm and rarely loses his temper,” Wong said. “In high-pressure environments, it is easy to overreact. Mark taught me to ‘step back’, view the situation globally, and analyse it before acting. When management displays such composure, the whole team works harmoniously, which directly lowers the horses’ collective stress.” Chain of interdependence From the stable assistant ensuring bedding density at 3am to the head lad checking hoof integrity, and the assistant trainer managing administrative pressure, every position is an indispensable gear in the machine that wins trophies. As Chan emphasised when discussing the formula for making a champion, success relies on a delicate chain of interdependence. “There are several factors at play: training, nutrition and the jockey’s performance,” Chan said. “These links are all interconnected. If the horse is healthy, has a good appetite, and maintains its form, we can keep up the intensity in our daily training. “When race day comes, if the jockey executes well, all these elements converge to produce a winner.”

Behind the scenes with the silent workforce powering Hong Kong’s racing champions

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Stable hands, head lads and assistant trainers don’t get the glory, but horses such as Romantic Warrior could not win without them

Like my own son

Stable hands, head lads and assistant trainers don’t get the glory, but horses such as Romantic Warrior could not win without them