The Hong Kong File: Graham Cunningham looks ahead to the new season

Zac Purton and Joao Moreira left Hong Kong after another title battle in July. Silvestre de Sousa returns with a hunger to shake up the big two. Harry Bentley will be aiming to build on a solid 2021-22 campaign. Jamie Richards will replace Paul O'Sullivan as the trainer. Frankie Lor won his first title in his fifth season with licence. There are 88 meetings worth £158m over the next ten months. There will also be a Longines HKIR event in December.

WELLINGTON won three major races last season. Richard Gibson's gelding is the one to beat once the G1 battles come around. Golden Sixty beat international raiders again in the HK Mile and Champions Mile. Douglas Whyte's stable star Russian Emperor will be a key player if he gets a wet track again.   The Aussie has left town and it will interesting to see if Whytte hands the reins on his stable stars to fellow South African Lyle Hewitson.

The new season starts in Hong Kong. California Spangle, Romantic Warrior and Beauty Joy are the horses to watch.  CALIFORNIA SPANGLE is a high cruiser. BEAUTY JOY joined Cruz from David Hayes rated 78 and progressed to 117. Romantic Warriors won the Derby and QEII Cup last season. He will be sidelined until November. The list of horses who won Derby, QeII and Derby in the same season before Romantic Warrior comprises four aces.

The HK File's Top Five UK imports for the 2022-23 season are: FEARBY, SUNNY TRIUMPH, TATSUMAKI, THESIS, WHOPFOWFY and OUTGATE. Thesis has had just five starts and is not a proven winner. Outgate is a potential HK purchase. The File’s top five Euro buys are also: WHopfOWY, OUTgates, MARTIN, KUBELES, and CABIN. They are all HK-bound. HK files' top 5 Euro buying horses are as follows: FOURTH,

Hewitson, Whyte and Angus Chung are new trainers in Hong Kong. Pierre Ng is a homegrown trainer whose father trained over 450 HK winners. Jamie Richards has a successful record in Australia and New Zealand. He has been busy at the trials and has horses entered for Sha Tin on Sunday. Graham Cunningham looks ahead to the new season.

Sky Field, Winning Dreamer and Lucky Sweynesse are the headline acts for Sunday's Season Opener in Hong Kong. Silvestre de Sousa will ride Lucky Sweyensse. Graham Cunningham looks ahead to the new season.

The National Gambling Helpline is on 0808 8020 133. The recommended bets are advised to over-18s.