Most in Hong Kong look forward to the Happy Valley day meeting and Francis Lui Kin-wai looks one trainer who will be particularly keen to get down to business at the city circuit’s first meeting in 11 days this Sunday.

Fresh from a rare race night off – Lui didn’t have a single runner at Wednesday’s Sha Tin all-weather meeting – the reigning champion trainer takes a five-strong hand to the Valley as he looks build on his impressive record at the track this season.

With five winners from just 20 runners, Lui is striking at 25 per cent at the Valley compared to 9 per cent overall and he is in need of a kick along late in an October that has so far netted him just two winners.

Headlining Lui’s hand is a galloper who will also enjoy the return to the Valley – Copartner Prance.

Undefeated in his past five starts at the track, Copartner Prance hasn’t hit his straps in two runs at Sha Tin to start the season, although he’ll have every chance to change that from barrier one in Sunday’s Class Two Guangzhou Handicap (1,200m).

Ho adds to HKIR entries

The Boniface Ho Ka-kui-owned Celestial Legend and Japanese galloper Sol Oriens were added to the entry list for the Longines Hong Kong International Races on Thursday, just 24 hours after the Jockey Club released the initial nominations for the December 8 showpiece.

Celestial Legend, who boasts Group One wins in the Randwick Guineas (1,600m) and Doncaster Mile, has been entered for the Group One Hong Kong Mile, while last year’s Group One Satsuki Sho (2,000m) victor Sol Oriens, who lines up in this weekend’s Group One Tenno Sho Autumn (2,000m), is in the mix for the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) and Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m).

Supplementary entries for the four international day features close on November 18, with the fields to be announced on November 20.

Ka Ying rises up The Everest market

The hottest horse in Hong Kong racing is now the favourite for the world’s richest sprint race, with Ka Ying Rising backed into $8 for next October’s The Everest (1,200m) in Sydney.

David Hayes first expressed interest in running his stable star in the A$20 million (HK$103 million) slot race last season and he’s only added to the hype while in Melbourne for Saturday’s Group One Cox Plate (2,040m), in which his sons Will, Ben and JD will saddle up ironhorse Mr Brightside and Evaporate.

Hayes has made his opinion of Ka Ying Rising well known and after the galloper snared last Sunday’s Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m), he admitted he’d never had a sprinter quite like him.

“People are rating him arguably the best around and they’re asking where he stacks up with all the Group One sprinters I’ve trained,” Hayes said of his 127-rated galloper, who has won seven of nine starts and is hurtling towards his date with destiny in December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).

“I don’t think in the first nine starts I’ve ever had a horse as good as him. I’m not saying he’s the best horse I’ve ever had because he’s got to win the Group Ones – if he ends up as good as them, great – but during the early stages going through the grades and what he’s doing, I haven’t had one do that.”