Two years ago, Francis Lui Kin-wai won four of the final five races at the season finale to spectacularly beat Pierre Ng Pang-chi in a trainers’ championship battle befitting of a Hollywood movie script.

That conclusion to a roller coaster fight for championship honours was hailed as one of the most exciting in the history of Hong Kong racing.

While that famous night seems hard to top, this season’s exciting title battle appears destined to do just that.

Through 68 of the 88 meetings this term, the top four are separated by just three wins with Mark Newnham leading the way on 51.

And outside of the first four firmly in contention sit two dangerous threats who should never be underestimated – Lui on 45 and 13-time champion John Size on 43.

Newnham has been at the top end of the standings throughout what has been a brilliant third season in Hong Kong, highlighted by Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) glory with Invincible Ibis, My Wish’s Group One Champions Mile success and a career-best five-timer at Happy Valley.

He has had success across all three of the city’s tracks and improved a recent string of stable transfers, adding to his push for the championship.

Most consider the championship battle a race in two between Newnham and Caspar Fownes, whose typical dominance at the Valley has put him right in the mix for a fifth title.

Can he prevail despite not having as much success at Sha This this term? Absolutely.

And with the season finale moved to Happy Valley after a typhoon caused the September 21 meeting to be abandoned, it would be a safe bet to assume Fownes will have his bases loaded for a big night on July 15.

Like Fownes, Danny Shum Chap-shing has bagged most of his 50 victories this term at the Valley while he has also recorded more dirt wins than any other handler.

He might lack the younger and unexposed gallopers needed for a late-season championship bid, but he remains a major threat.

David Hayes sits fourth on 48 wins and the Australian Hall of Fame trainer says his batch of unraced or lightly-raced gallopers set to be unleashed will determine whether he can challenge for a third Hong Kong title.

Lui, this season’s leading trainer in Sha Tin turf races, boasts several progressive young gallopers including the unbeaten Hot Delight and Sunday’s Sha Tin winners, Baby Sakura and Turquoise Velocity.

They have plenty more wins in store, but they are also close to the end of their campaigns as Lui eyes bigger targets next season.

Size might be eight wins off the pace, with a tally of 52 seconds no doubt a source of frustration, but a few big hauls in the coming weeks could easily put him right in contention.

Hayes to experiment with Ka Ying?

It’s been an easy “copy and paste” job for Hayes when it comes to Ka Ying Rising’s programme during his record winning streak, but could a change be on the horizon in 2027?

“We’ll worry about it later, but I would definitely like to experiment over a couple of different distances and a couple of different tracks, once he’s done his three-peat,” Hayes said on Australian programme The Triple Trio last week, referencing Ka Ying Rising’s bid to be undefeated over three years.

“He’s just earning so much money for his connections and giving them such pleasure doing what he’s doing, we’re a little bit loath to change much just at the moment.”

Hayes has flagged extending Ka Ying Rising to 1,600m for the first time in a race such as the Group One Champions Mile at Sha Tin in April, while a trip to Royal Ascot next year is also a possibility.