After months of intricate planning – and no small amount of hoping and dreaming among owners, trainers and jockeys – the BMW Hong Kong Derby is almost upon us.
The successor to Sky Darci will be anointed at Sha Tin on Sunday, 20 March, joining an honour roll crammed with champions who have reigned supreme in the Classic every Hong Kong owner aspires to win.
This season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series has offered substantial Derby clues in the shape of Romantic Warrior (Hong Kong Classic Mile) and California Spangle (Hong Kong Classic Cup) and, from a purely statistical perspective, both are seemingly well placed to emulate previous winners.
One trend to emerge over the past decade is the dominance of horses rated over 100. Since 2011, Fay Fay (110), Akeed Mofeed (102), Designs On Rome (115), Luger (107), Werther (106), Rapper Dragon (114), Ping Hai Star (103), Furore (104), Golden Sixty (112) and Sky Darci (103) have all won the Derby with triple-figure ratings.
Of this year’s crop, California Spangle (101) and Romantic Warrior (101) clearly head the ratings from The Irishman (92), Turin Redsun (92), Ima Single Man (90), Senor Toba (89), Fa Fa (88) and Money Catcher (88).
Captain Win (80), Rocket Spade (80), SJ Tourbillon (78), Champion Dragon (77), Mr Ascendency (76) and Crossford (75) complete the list of preferred starters, while Nordic Sky (64), Boom Alliance (68) and Copartner Elites (72) are the current reserves.
Time will tell if history is to repeat – or if there is a departure from what has become the norm.
Of the past 10 BMW Hong Kong Derby winners, six have been Privately Purchased (PPs) while the other four were Privately Purchased Griffins (PPGs), including the 2020 and 2021 champions, Golden Sixty and Sky Darci.
One of the quirks of the Derby history is that no Hong Kong International Sale graduate has ever won the race. Pakistan Star ran second to Rapper Dragon in 2017, while Billion Win was third in 1999 to Holy Grail.
Romantic Warrior, who was handpicked by former champion Irish jockey Michael Kinane at the Tattersalls Sale before being sold for HK$4.8 million at last June’s Hong Kong International Sale, has the chance to create history next week.
Now the winner of five races and HK$11.1 million in prizemoney, and most unlucky when fourth in the Hong Kong Classic Cup last month behind California Spangle, Romantic Warrior is the only ISG in Derby contention this year.
Given the prevailing circumstances, I would like to again thank everyone in the ‘Racing Bubble’ for their dedication, selflessness and commitment as we approach one of the high points of the Hong Kong racing season.
Before we celebrate the BMW Hong Kong Derby, we race this Saturday at Sha Tin where Race 1 is the Nam Wan Handicap for horses rated 95-plus over 1600m. While there is a small field, it is a high-quality field.
In this small field, there are two horses that like to lead. Ka Ying Star has the inside draw and should get to the rail. He will be most likely joined by Healthy Happy, who should get outside the leader. Excellent Proposal can get the trail. Savvy Nine can get into the one out and one back position. The back markers are Champion’s Way and Cheerful Days. There will be not much between first and last and the pace should be good to slow.
Excellent Proposal was disappointing in his last start and has blinkers on for the first time. He is ridden by Joao Moreira and is my first choice as a win and place chance, especially since he is carrying only 116 pounds. Healthy Happy, who has Karis Teetan on board, didn’t handle the yielding going last time but will find the right ground today and will be well positioned. He is a place chance along with Cheerful Days who, under Alexis Badel, is in the form of his life with the light weight of 114 pounds.
The seventh race on the card is the Lam Tsuen Handicap for sprinters rated 95 or higher and will be run over 1200 metres. Computer Patch will flash his usual speed under new rider Antoine Hamelin to ensure a good pace with many horses in close contention.
A number of horses at the bottom of the handicap will go forward including the highly regarded Master Eight with Joao Moreira, Voyage Warrior with Matthew Poon and Trillion Win, who has the services of Alexis Badel.
Trillion Win has carried the maximum 133 pounds in each of his last three starts but gets in here at the minimum 113 under the handicap conditions. He is enjoying a productive season and has turned in good runs from both on and off the pace. I make him a place chance.
Master Eight has been freshened after a tough trip in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup. Moreira and Master Eight have a perfect record together with five wins and I make him a win and place chance at the weights. He should find the rail early from his good draw and get every chance.
Super Wealthy has held his own against top company and has seen his rating increase 20 points this season. He has drawn the inside barrier and jockey Blake Shinn will have him midfield and within striking range. He is a place chance along with the lightly weighted Duke Wai with Matthew Chadwick.
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