John Size saddles up Wunderbar and Stellar Express as he looks to claim Sha Tin’s Saturday feature, the Class One Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup (1,000m).
The 12-time champion trainer, who heads into Saturday with a commanding nine-win lead over nearest rival David Hayes in this season’s premiership, will be chiefly relying on his winning machine Wunderbar to extend his buffer.
The Rich Enuff galloper won four of his five starts as a three-year-old and kicked off this campaign with a pair of victories to bring his tally to six wins from seven, before his form levelled off following those tough performances.
Following a four-month break, Wunderbar stepped forward from a fairly promising reappearance by cruising past his rivals under Hugh Bowman to win the Class Two Business School And Faculty Of Engineering Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin two weeks ago, improving his record to seven wins from 12 starts.
Back in business! 😤
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 14, 2025
John Size's Wunderbar, the only horse to defeat Ka Ying Rising (not once but twice), takes the Class 2 feature at Sha Tin with @HugeBowman ahead of stablemate Raging Blizzard... #SummerSeries | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/czabWHt28q
The last time Wunderbar ran over the 1,000m trip, he was pinched late by a reopposing Magic Control, but he was a dual winner over the course and distance in 2023 and Size has no concerns about his credentials.
“He seems fine, he’s in pretty good shape. He’s done well after the race. He looks in good order,” said Size.
“I think coming back in distance for this particular race, it looks extremely competitive and there are quite a few horses there that are suited by the straight 1,000m. He’ll run well but it’s a good competition.
“He can handle the straight 1,000m all right. He ran second this season there. It was a good run. He runs in a straight line pretty well.”
1⃣,6⃣0⃣0⃣ HONG KONG WINS FOR JOHN SIZE! 👏
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 25, 2025
Stellar Express brings up a major milestone for our 12-time champion trainer, who becomes the second in history to reach the mark... 🍾 @brentonavdulla @WorldPool | #TripleCrown | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/Pil6WEzSgi
Brenton Avdulla will return to the plate with Bowman serving a ban, meaning the Stellar Express ride has been freed up for Andrea Atzeni.
The five-year-old was a winner under Avdulla at Sha Tin two starts ago, blazing up the rails to go from pillar to post in the Class Three Indigenous Handicap (1,000m) and double his tally over the track and distance.
He had excuses over 1,200m at Happy Valley on his most recent start, trailing in last of 12 after using plenty of petrol to cross to the front over a distance that does not play to his strengths.
The Zoustar galloper is likely to be gunned to the front once more to play catch me if you can.
Elsewhere in the race, Magic Control will bid to defy top weight and confirm the placings of his earlier encounter with likely short-priced favourite Wunderbar.
That's impressive, Magic Control! 🪄
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) November 9, 2024
Cody Mo's talented chestnut, formerly known as Archo Nacho in Australia, denies Wunderbar down the straight at Sha Tin under @mattLchadwixk... 🌟#LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/Li8NDSuUfS
The Cody Mo Wai-kit-trained four-year-old has struggled in Group company in his recent starts, but he will benefit from the step down in grade and the 5lb claim of the in-form Ellis Wong Chi-wang.
The red-hot 24-year-old jockey has ridden 12 winners since the start of April, losing his 7lb claim in the process.
Another jockey to hit top stride in recent weeks is Keagan de Melo, who partners Red Elegance for trainer Douglas Whyte.
Fresh off his first Hong Kong Group win aboard Copartner Prance in the Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m), the South African will hope to galvanise the five-year-old back to winning ways.
A two-time winner over the 1,000m trip at Happy Valley from his past three starts, he fell short in his hat-trick bid at the end of April when last seen.