A cursory examination of the BMW Hong Kong Derby honour roll is all that is required to provide a sense of what might unfold at Sha Tin tomorrow.
A Classic in terms of both Hong Kong and international racing, the BMW Hong Kong Derby’s promotional slogan – “Once In A Lifetime Glory” – remains as apt as ever as the best of this season’s four-year-old crop vie to join the assembly of Hong Kong racing immortals.
The Derby is not only a measure of elite staying performance for lightly-raced horses but also a preview, in many cases, of future greatness.
Golden Sixty, Vengeance Of Rain, Viva Pataca, Ambitious Dragon, Designs On Rome, Akeed Mofeed and Werther all advanced to elite triumphs following Derby success and we can only wonder at this stage what awaits this season’s cohort.
Given the current COVID-19 situation, the Club is grateful and delighted to stage BMW Hong Kong Derby with such a fascinating and well-matched field. I truly hope that, even with our valued customers, members and owners being unable to attend the races, that this year’s Derby lives up to its billing.
The pandemic has meant we could not host members of the public in 2020 and 2021 at the Derby, but we at least had owners, who could enjoy the BMW Hong Kong Derby with their families and experience first-hand the thrill of winning such a prestige race.
I feel particularly for the owners this year and their disappointment at not being able to attend the Derby and witness history. I am concerned that this prolonged absence of owners coming to the races with their family and friends for such a long period will have an impact on their enthusiasm to apply for horses in the upcoming ballot because going to the races is about their passion and sharing this in social gatherings with family and friends.
In the meantime, I wish to thank everybody – trainers, jockeys, owners, customers and our staff – for their continued sacrifices and understanding in the hope that the situation soon changes and we can eventually welcome everybody back to the track in safe and healthy conditions.
All that remains now is to celebrate the 2022 BMW Hong Kong Derby, which is carded as the eighth race and is run over the distance of 2000 metres. The pace will be good.
California Spangle is the natural front runner, however Rocket Spade can apply pressure to ensure the pace is good. Champion Dragon with Matthew Chadwick as his jockey will make use of the gate two and will take a forward position behind the leaders. Money Catcher under Derek Leung from gate nine can go forward and this will leave S J Tourbillon likely trapped three-wide.
Ima Single Man with Matthew Poon will follow try to position himself behind Champion Dragon, while Romantic Warrior with Karis Teetan should be well positioned on his outside and in a good striking position.
Turin Redsun and Alexis Badel will likely trail Romantic Warrior, while Senor Toba with Joao Moreira will be on his inside.
The Irishman, which is drawn in gate 13 with Blake Shinn, will have to go back with Crossford under Vagner Borges on his inside, leaving Fa Fa with Harry Bentley and Nordic Sky with Antoine Hamelin last of the field.
All the main chances in this year’s Derby will get their opportunity.
The two highest-rated horses in the 14-horse field come in with sparkling credentials. California Spangle has won six of eight races, including the Hong Kong Classic Cup in his last start, while Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Romantic Warrior has won five of six.
California Spangle has a well-established racing pattern of going forward to make the running. Jockey Zac Purton will use his speed to cross from gate 10 and go to the front. Money Catcher, a much improved third in the Classic Cup, will also go forward as he did in the Classic Cup to prompt the pace with Derek Leung.
I expect to see a change in tactics from Rocket Spade after an eye-catching barrier trial last week when he added blinkers and made all the running to win impressively. Jockey Vincent Ho can make use of gate five and have him much closer to the pace, which is a dramatic change in strategy considering this is the same horse that came from second last in a field of 14 to win last year’s New Zealand Derby over 2400 metres.
Romantic Warrior lost for the first time in his career when fourth in the Hong Kong Classic Cup when he had a very difficult run, not being able to slot in and being four-wide with no cover and travelling a significant extra distance. He still ran the last 400m in 23.50 seconds.
Romantic Warrior is my first choice for a win and place. He has been brilliant since being purchased by owner Peter Lau for $4.8 million in June 2021 at our Hong Kong International Sale, winning over $11 million already.
His main dangers are in my view Turin Redsun and Senor Toba. Turin Redsun finished fastest in the last 400m in 23.23 seconds in the Hong Kong Classic Cup and is by the brilliant stallion Dubawi and has no stamina concerns looking at his pedigree.
Senor Toba had a disrupted preparation but showed a very good finishing speed last time in the Classic Cup, running the last 400 m in 23.41 seconds. He is likely to improve with blinkers applied first time and there are no stamina concerns to see out the distance, being a Group 3 winner over 2000m and second in a Group 1 over 2400m in Australia.
California Spangle may be the best horse in the race and won the Hong Kong Classic Cup due to his class and a brilliant ride of Zac Purton. He still managed to run the last 400m in 23.66 seconds but was empty in the last 100m at the end of 1800m after an unchallenged lead. He still cannot be ignored for a place.
Rocket Spade is a multiple Group winner in New Zealand, including victory in the Derby over 2400m, but has been a little bit disappointing so far but showed when blinkers were applied first time a different performance and is a horse who can run a place.
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