Helios Express claims Group 3 Sha Tin Vase
Thriving in the absence of Ka Ying Rising, Helios Express was rewarded for a season of remarkable consistency with a deserved victory in the HK$4.2 million Group 3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m) as John Size edged closer to a 13th Hong Kong trainers’ championship at Sha Tin on Saturday.
Runner-up five times and third on two other occasions to Ka Ying Rising in seven starts this campaign, Helios Express (123lb) scrambled to a short-head margin over Invincible Sage (115lb) with Patch Of Theta (115lb) 1.75 lengths away in third.
Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Helios Express sat at the tail of the 11-horse field behind leaders Magic Control (115lb) and Beauty Waves (115lb) before fanning widest in the straight and engaging Invincible Sage – who won the 2024 Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) under Bowman – in a thrilling battle.
Clocking 22.01s for the final 400m, Helios Express eventually prevailed to Bowman’s clear relief in a time of 1:08.14.
“Only just,” Bowman said of the winning margin. “I’ve had a lot to do with the second horse, Invincible Sage, and they both got the soft track conditions which suited both horses and you’ve seen them both run to their premium.
“He (Helios Express) thoroughly deserved it. He’s been chasing the ‘champ’ (Ka Ying Rising) all season and with his absence, he was the number one seed and he came out in front.”
The winner of six of his first nine starts in Hong Kong, including victories in the 2024 HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1600m) and HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), Helios Express had not won in eight subsequent starts, repeatedly foiled by the world’s highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising.
“He (Helios Express) certainly deserves this win, he’s tried very hard this season to win a decent race and finally he got it done,” Size said. “He found a race that was suitable for him.”
Pointing to the presence of 129-rater Lucky Sweynesse (135lb), who finished a brave fourth under Derek Leung, and the fact Helios Express received 12lb from the four-time Group 1 winner, Size said: “This what handicaps are all about. The race was always going to be a matter of handicap. If the topweight gets you into the middle range of the race, well that’s always a bonus.”
Size finished the day with a double, taking his 2024/25 tally to 60 with a seven-win buffer over David Hayes (53) with 12 meetings left in the season.
2025 Group 3 Sha Tin Vase Replay – Helios Express
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