The road to glory is certainly not for the faint hearted. Francis Lui can attest to that – for the 65-year-old conditioner showed steely nerves to claim his first trainers’ championship in the final event on the final day of the 2023-2024 Hong Kong season at Sha Tin racecourse on July 14. Pierre Ng, with 67 winners entering the 11-race season finale, had led Lui by one winner.
Both entered nine runners each on July 14 and it was the 40-year-old Ng who drew first blood when he sent out Beauty Waves (Alexis Badel) to take out Race 2, a Class 2 1,200m event. Ng also saddled third-placed Duke Wai while Lui sent out second-placed Call Me Glorious and fourth-placed Packing Treadmill. Three races later, Ng surged to a three-winner lead when First Love, under Zac Purton, took out the Class 4 1,200m contest.
Romantic Warrior claims top gong But Lui’s late, late show was to prove decisive. And he had much to thank Purton as Steps Ahead (Race 7), Chancheng Glory (Race 8) and Packing Hermod (Race 9) brought him level with Ng on 69 winners. Lui’s runner Holy Lake ran second in the penultimate event, a Class 3 1,600m race, behind Purton’s mount Young Achiever.
It was a significant result as Lui took his tally for second placings to 55, one more than Ng, going into the final event. Ng needed either a win for outright success or a second to trump his former mentor and claim the crown on third placings. But Lui saved his best for last, with Patch Of Theta making it a one-horse affai.
