Ricky Yiu Poon-fai

Ricky Yiu rode 11 winners between 1974 and 1980 when apprenticed to Jack Goswell, and was first licensed as a trainer in 1995/96, after learning the ropes as assistant trainer to Gordon Smyth and Eddie Lo. One of his greatest early moments came with Fairy King Prawn’s success in the inaugural Hong Kong Sprint (1999). Three-time world champion sprinter Sacred Kingdom, one of Hong Kong’s all-time greats, was his outstanding stable star. Sacred Kingdom landed two Hong Kong Sprint wins, four straight Champion Sprinter titles (2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11) and 2009/10 Horse of the Year honours. In 2010 he also sent out Ultra Fantasy to triumph in the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama as, with Alex Lai on board, the pair became the first Hong Kong Chinese trainer-jockey partnership to triumph in an overseas Group 1 event. Following Sacred Kingdom’s retirement in the spring of 2012, another speedster, Amber Sky, provided Yiu with further elite success at home and abroad. His son, Eric Yiu, was appointed the stable’s assistant trainer ahead of the 2018/19 season. He achieved a lifelong ambition in 2019/20 when he was crowned Hong Kong Champion Trainer, having led his rivals for most of the campaign; his final tally of 67 wins meant that he held off second-placed Tony Cruz by two. In 2021/22, Yiu prepared 53 winners, which included a 10-meeting win streak in May and June, to place fifth in the championship. He closed out another brilliant season in 2023/24 with 60 wins to place third in the trainers’ championship. That same season he won his first Stewards’ Cup with Voyage Bubble. He also reached the 1,000-win milestone at Sha Tin in 2024, becoming one of only a handful of trainers in Hong Kong to do so. He enjoyed another fine season in 2024/25, thanks to Voyage Bubble, who became only the second horse in Hong Kong racing history after River Verdon in 1993/94 to complete the Triple Crown by winning the Stewards’ Cup, Hong Kong Gold Cup and Champions & Chater Cup in the same season. In 2026, he saddled his 1,100th winner in Hong Kong with Chill Easy, and added one more Group 1 win to his tally with Voyage Bubble in the Hong Kong Mile. Achievements:Hong Kong Champion Trainer (2019/20), Hong Kong Triple Crown (2024/25 Voyage Bubble). Notable Wins Include:Hong Kong Derby (2023 Voyage Bubble), Hong Kong Mile (2025 Voyage Bubble), Hong Kong Sprint (1999 Fairy King Prawn, 2007 & 2009 Sacred Kingdom), Stewards’ Cup (2024 & 2025 Voyage Bubble), Hong Kong Gold Cup (2025 Voyage Bubble), Champions & Chater Cup (2025 Voyage Bubble), Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1999 Fairy King Prawn, 2008 & 2010 Sacred Kingdom), Centenary Sprint Cup (2010 & 2011 Sacred Kingdom, 2014 Amber Sky), Hong Kong Classic Mile (2023 Voyage Bubble), KrisFlyer International Sprint (2009 Sacred Kingdom), Sprinters Stakes (2010 Ultra Fantasy), Al Quoz Sprint (2014 Amber Sky), G2 Sprint Cup (2008 & 2009 Sacred Kingdom, 2010 Ultra Fantasy, 2020 Voyage Warrior), G2 Chairman’s Trophy (2021 Mighty Giant, 2025 Straight Arron), G3 Centenary Vase (2024 Nimble Nimbus), G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup (2017 Blizzard), G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (2019 Jolly Banner), G3 Premier Cup (2020 Jolly Banner). Hong Kong Career Wins (at start of 2026/27 season):1,110 (win strike rate: 8.7%).