Danny Shum Chap-shing shot to the top of the trainers’ championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, with his Group Three January Cup (1,800m) triumph with Helene Feeling highlighting a dominant four-timer.

The veteran handler had a night to remember just a day after copping a HK$300,000 (US$38,562) fine after he was charged with making “privileged information available to persons not entitled to receive such information, in respect to three horses he was training”.

Wins by Judy’s Great, Happy Soul, Helene Feeling and Eternal Fortune propelled Shum to 27 this term as he leapfrogged Pierre Ng Pang-chi (26) for the premiership lead.

“It’s just amazing, I’m very happy,” Shum said after bagging his first four-timer since January 28, 2018 at Sha Tin.

Helene Feeling storms home under Harry Bentley to claim the January Cup.

“All four horses ran great races and the jockeys did a brilliant job.”

Twelve months after running third in the January Cup, Helene Feeling went two better with a barnstorming display under Harry Bentley.

Taken back in the field from barrier nine, the Sioux Nation gelding relished Hugh Bowman’s mid-race move to inject speed into the race by sending stablemate Moments In Time forward to snatch the lead from Flamingo Trillion.

Helene Feeling, the $4.9 second elect, let down strongly in the straight to score by half a length from reigning January Cup victor Happy Together, who finished powerfully from second last under top weight of 135 pounds.

La City Blanche stormed home from the tail of the field for an eye-catching third, while $4.1 favourite Moments Of Time could only manage fifth.

“Helene Feeling likes Happy Valley more than Sha Tin, but unfortunately there aren’t many races for him here,” Shum said.

The triumph was Helene Feeling’s fifth in Hong Kong and first since December 2023.

It was Bentley’s second Group Three success in the city, following the British rider’s Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m) win on Whizz Kid 12 months ago.

Jockey Harry Bentley, trainer Danny Shum (third from right) and connections of Helene Feeling celebrate.

“Really good, they’re not easy to come by and really glad to take the opportunity and kick him home,” Bentley said.

“The wide draw was always going to be a little bit tricky just to get a nice position through the race and we were going very slowly early doors. He probably didn’t come around the bend all that well but fair play to the horse, he really knuckled down in the straight.”

Judy’s Great started Shum’s big night with an upset victory at $65.55 in the third section of the Class Four Great George Handicap (1,200m), delivering Dylan Mo Hin-tung his second winner in as many meetings.

Winless since May, Mo struck at Sha Tin last Sunday on the Shum-trained Super Legends.

Zac Purton rings the commemorative bell counting down his pursuit of Douglas Whyte’s record.

Elsewhere on the Valley card, Zac Purton moved to within eight wins of breaking Douglas Whyte’s all-time record of 1,813 in Hong Kong after he booted home Chris So Wai-yin’s Firefoot.

The night didn’t go exactly to plan for the champion jockey, who was beaten on short-priced favourites Golden Rise ($2.1), Ninja Derby ($2.9), Beauty Light ($2.8) and Spirit Of Peace ($1.8) before Firefoot’s success.

“Things haven’t gone smoothly tonight,” Purton said.

“I had to wait for this winner and he just got into a race where there wasn’t much speed with a light weight [120 pounds]. I was able to control things and he deserved to win, he’s been quite honest.”

Hugh Bowman (Eternal Fortune and Mighty Commander) and Vincent Ho Chak-yiu (Happy Soul and Speed Dragon) shared riding honours with a double each.

Ho’s win on Speed Dragon was soured by a two-meeting suspension for careless riding, while Ellis Wong Chi-wang was suspended for one meeting for careless riding on Gallant Crown in race one.

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