Chris So Leans On Past Dubai Lessons For Sing Dragon
Chris So is taking no chances with Sing Dragon’s preparation for his Dubai Super Saturday assignment in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal at Meydan this weekend.
After years of travelling horses overseas as a track rider and assistant trainer for champions Tony Cruz and Caspar Fownes, and in the past decade as a trainer himself, So knows experience builds knowledge, and knowledge must be applied.
He has ticked gate practice off the Meydan must-do list and he will fit a pacifier – mesh eye coverings – to Sing Dragon for the 1200m dirt track race, the prime lead-in to the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on the lucrative Dubai World Cup card at the end of next month.
“We popped Sing Dragon out of the gate on Tuesday,” So told Idol Horse by phone from Dubai. “I’ve brought two horses to Dubai before and the second one, Classic Emperor, he slipped coming out of the gate in his first race here and he dropped the jockey; the surface is different to Hong Kong, the dirt is quite deep here.
“We didn’t jump out the gate before the race that time, so because of that experience, I just wanted to make sure to let Sing Dragon feel the dirt under his feet coming out of the gate; just pop out so at least the horse got a feel of the ground. He jumped out the gate and worked maybe 23, 24 seconds for the last quarter.”
So is hoping his gelding’s early speed will enable him to gain a good position from the break, but he is leaving nothing to chance, hence the pacifiers. The Mahab Al Shimaal will be Sing Dragon’s first race since he transferred from Mark Newnham’s stable.
“You sometimes see horses here, when they’re behind the horses, they get kickback and can stop fast and cannot make ground,” So said. “Just in case the horse doesn’t jump fast enough, at least with the pacifier I hope the horse will still keep going forward and won’t stop fast.
“We tried the pacifier in Hong Kong and it was pretty nice, he did it well. You see the trials, the first one he had good speed, led all the way and won the trial seven or eight lengths, so it didn’t bother him and the second trial, he went fast from the gate and then he made the time.”
So is hoping to draw gate one to six in the 10-runner contest, which also features the last two Dubai Golden Shaheen winners, Tuz and Dark Saffron, as well as the Silvestre de Sousa-ridden El Nasseeb who scored a hat-trick of wins before placing second last time in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint at the course and distance.
“The gate is most important to us,” So said. “Sing Dragon has natural speed, but here all the horses, they jump really, really good, they get the pace going really fast, so we want a good draw: four, five or even six I think is okay.
“Jump and go forward,” he added. “I watched the replay from last year and the winner got to the lead and led all the way.”
Hong Kong has had success in the race previously, with the Michael Chang-trained Rich Tapestry winning in 2014. That gelding was also third in the race, won the Al Shindagha Sprint and was second and third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Super Saturday’s nine-race card also features the last lead-in to the G1 Dubai World Cup, the G2 Al Maktoum Classic, in which local trainer Bhupat Seemar has six entries, including Walk Of Stars and Mendelssohn Bay.
British trainer Jamie Osborne will saddle up Heart Of Honor, third in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge last time behind the Seemar-trained Imperial Emperor.
Meanwhile, the G2 Dubai City Of Gold is the main Meydan prep race for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, over the same 2410m turf track, and Godolphin has its veteran star Rebel’s Romance entered en route to the big-race, which he won in 2024.
An interesting subplot to Saturday’s card is the battle for the UAE champion jockey crown, with De Sousa, the defending champion, facing a tough battle from his fellow Brazilian Bernardo Pinheiro.
De Sousa has 38 wins on the board to Pinheiro’s 37 with 13 racedays left on the UAE calendar.
This Week In Horse Racing History
The Santa Anita Handicap was first run at Santa Anita Park, California on February 23, 1935. The race was won by the seven-year-old Azucar, a former steeplechaser, ridden by George Woolf.
Japan’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and two-time Saudi Cup winner Forever Young was foaled on February 24, 2021.
On February 28, 1950, North American Hall Of Fame rider Johnny Longden became the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 wins.
Idol Horse Reads Of The Week
Shane Dye shares fascinating insights into two of Hong Kong’s greatest champion jockeys following the news Joao Moreira will lock horns again with Zac Purton through the last three months of Hong Kong’s current season.
Michael Cox interviews Wong Tang-ping, a throwback to a lost era and the trainer of Hong Kong’s first modern great, the mighty Co-Tack. From Wong’s harrowing childhood escape from wartime Hong Kong to keeping active in his Happy Valley retirement, this is a must-read.
Godolphin has had plenty of success on Dubai Super Saturday down the years, so this week is an appropriate time to revisit David Morgan’s article from this time last year, looking at the work Godolphin does to retrain and rehome its horses at the end of their racing careers.
Racing Photo Of The Week
Sha Tin racecourse was all about Ka Ying Rising last Sunday when the world’s best sprinter won the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, setting a new Hong Kong record with his 18th consecutive victory. While non-racing global media interest was negligible, unlike in the days of the previous record holder, the great Silent Witness – he made the cover of Time magazine – the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s marketing arm did at least create a memorable spectacle at the track. Here, Zac Purton salutes the crowd after a giant Ka Ying Rising banner has been unfurled.
Date
22 February, 2026
Photographer
@HKJC_Racing
Location
Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong
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Sha Tin racecourse was all about Ka Ying Rising last Sunday when the world’s best sprinter won the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, setting a new Hong Kong record with his 18th consecutive victory. While non-racing global media interest was negligible, unlike in the days of the previous record holder, the great Silent Witness – he made the cover of Time magazine – the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s marketing arm did at least create a memorable spectacle at the track. Here, Zac Purton salutes the crowd after a giant Ka Ying Rising banner has been unfurled.
Global Blackbook
Hot Delight put down an early marker for next year’s Hong Kong Classic Mile with an impressive second-up win at Sha Tin last weekend to make it two wins from as many starts, both at 1200m. The PPG – unraced at point of import – was even likened by trainer Francis Lui to the great Golden Sixty at the same stage of his career.
There’s a long way to go before such comparisons can be taken seriously, but the Too Darn Hot gelding leapt to a rating of 73 for his win under Vincent Ho at odds of 1.2.
Hot Delight was taken back from a wide gate on debut, raced midfield, then quickened centre track to win by a length and three quarters. This time, he broke sharply from gate six, took the lead and remained there. Ho shook him up with 250m to go and the three-year-old responded like a smart horse to extend away for a two and three-quarter-length win.
How GOOD was Hot Delight at Sha Tin…!? 🔥
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 20, 2026
Impressive stuff from Francis Lui's youngster on Thursday afternoon, who extends his unbeaten record to two… @Vincenthocy | #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/bxecSHTuB7
World Horse Racing Calendar: What’s Coming Up
Verry Elleegant (Chipping Norton) Stakes
Randwick, Australia, February 28
Autumn Glow is the hot favourite after she made it nine races unbeaten with an easy win in the Apollo Stakes last time. But the four-year-old faces quality opposition including Ceolwulf, winner of the G1 King Charles III Stakes and the G1 Champions Mile during the Spring Carnival, but only sixth in the Apollo Stakes first-up. Sir Delius will be first-up since winning the G1 Underwood Stakes and G1 Turnbull Stakes in the Australian spring.
Australian Guineas
Flemington, Australia, February 28
Observer is current ante-post favourite for the Australian Guineas after his first-up win in the G2 Autumn Stakes on February 7. But Ciaron Maher’s G1 Victoria Derby winner will face the recent G3 CS Hayes Stakes winner Sixties, as well as the Admire Mars gelding Planet Red, second in the Autumn Stakes and the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
Dubai Super Saturday
Meydan, UAE, February 28
The main lead-up to the Dubai World Cup fixture at the end of March brings a raft of high-quality races including the G2 Al Maktoum Classic, G2 Dubai City Of Gold, G2 Singspiel Stakes and G3 Burj Nahaar. Hong Kong trainer Chris So is set to saddle Sing Dragon in the Mahab Al Shimaal.
Hong Kong Gold Cup
Sha Tin, Hong Kong, March 1
Voyage Bubble became only the second horse to win the Hong Kong Triple Crown last year, but he is left to try and thwart Romantic Warrior from repeating that feat this time, with the latter having won the first leg, the G1 Stewards’ Cup, last month. Given Romantic Warrior’s preference for 2000m, he should have the upper hand again in this second leg, which he won in 2024. The last leg of the Triple Crown is in May, the G1 Champions & Chater Cup over 2400m.
New Zealand Derby Day
Ellerslie, New Zealand, March 7
The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained filly Ohope Wins is set to take on the boys in the day’s feature following her impressive win in the G1 New Zealand Oaks on February 21. That victory completed a hat-trick following wins in the G2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic and the G2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes. The first and second from the G2 Avondale Guineas, That’s Gold and Road To Paris are likely to take her on.
Newmarket Handicap Day
Flemington, Australia, March 7
Australia’s latest sprint star Tentyris is expected to attempt a follow-up to his recent win in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes with a victory in the G1 Newmarket Handicap. The last horse to complete the double was Redkirk Warrior in 2018.
Canterbury Stakes Day
Randwick, Australia, March 7
Joliestar won last year’s Newmarket Handicap but is the antepost favourite to win the Canterbury Stakes over 1300m this time. She could face the likes of Lady Shenandoah, Angel Capital, Linebacker and Beiwacht.
H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes Day
Turffontein, South Africa, March 7
Alec Laird trained Horse Chestnut and he has a horse ready to challenge for the race named in his champion’s honour. Fire Attack won the G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge last year and returned to something like his best form with victory in the G3 London News Stakes at Turffontein on February 14. Another possible contender is the high-class filly Mocha Blend, winner of the G1 Summer Cup in November. ∎
