About the race
The Stewards’ Cup is a 1600m turf race at Sha Tin, staged by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in January as the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown. It is open to three-year-olds and upwards, including overseas entries, and carries HK$13 million. The first running took place at Happy Valley on 22 May 1954 over 1200m. The race moved to Sha Tin in 1979 and in 1991 became a Hong Kong Group 1 and the opening leg of the newly created Triple Crown.
On 19 January 2025 Voyage Bubble won the race for the second year running, ridden by James McDonald and trained by Ricky Yiu, ahead of Galaxy Patch and Red Lion. He went on to win the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and the Champions & Chater Cup, becoming the second Triple Crown winner after River Verdon. Romantic Warrior won the 2026 running.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 January 2025 | Voyage Bubble | James McDonald | Ricky Yiu | Sunshine And Moonlight Syndicate |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 January 2026 | Romantic Warrior | James McDonald | Danny Shum | Peter Lau Pak Fai |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Part of
- Hong Kong Triple Crown (first leg)
- Race day in 2026
- Gentlemen's Raceday, 25 January 2026
- Prize fund in 2025
- HK$13,000,000
- Triple Crown bonus (2026/27)
- HK$10,000,000 to the owner of a horse winning all three legs
- Free entries close for overseas horses (2027)
- 4 January 2027
Questions readers ask
When is the Stewards' Cup run?
In January at Sha Tin. The next running is on Sunday 31 January 2027.
What is the prize fund of the Stewards' Cup?
HK$13,000,000 for the 31 January 2027 running, as published by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the same as in 2025 and 2026.
Who won the Stewards' Cup in 2025?
Voyage Bubble, ridden by James McDonald and trained by Ricky Yiu, won on 19 January 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- Introduction & Past Winners: Stewards' Cup, Gentlemen's Raceday 2026 (HKJC)
- International Racing Overview & Entries, 2026/2027 Group 1 races (HKJC)
- Hong Kong Pattern Book 2026/2027 (HKJC)
- Official result: Sha Tin, 19 January 2025, Race 8 (HKJC)
- 2025/2026 Racing Media Guide: Stewards' Cup (HKJC)