Focus Asia

Europeans hope to Star in pursuit of rare Hong Kong Derby triumph

A European-bred horse has not tasted success in Hong Kong’s lucrative Derby (Listed, 2000m) since Designs On Rome’s (Holy Roman Emperor) brave victory over the great Able Friend (Shamardal) in 2014, but in this year’s renewal of the race on Sunday the northern hemisphere contingent have their strongest chance since to set that record straight, with the top three in the market all emanating from either Ireland or Great Britain, although it may require the slight help of Australia.

Leading the charge is the Tony Cruz-trained California Spangle, a son of the Australian-bred Coolmore stallion and Rosemont Stud shuttler Starspangledbanner (Choisir), and victory for the Howard Liang-owned gelding, or his dark horse stablemate by the same stallion, Champion Dragon, in the showpiece event at Sha Tin would offer another feather in the cap of what’s been a remarkable resurrection in the stud career of the Royal Ascot-winning sprinter, and one which has perhaps taken a surprise trajectory with his progeny’s recent successes across the globe.

After retiring to stud in 2011 having won the Golden Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Ascot and the July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket, Starspangledbanner was plagued by fertility issues, getting just 37.4 per cent of his 116 coverings that southern hemisphere breeding season.

Among his produce within those first crops he sired high-class sprinters, including the Group 1 winner The Wow Signal, Irish-bred Australian Group 2 scorer Home Of The Brave and Royal Ascot-winning juvenile Anthem Alexander.

However, with his fertility rate now up – to 78 per cent in Australia in 2020 – recent feature-race winners for Starspangledbanner have arrived over a middle distance, including through last year’s northern hemisphere-bred Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) victor State Of Rest and recent Waikato Guineas (Gr 2, 2000m) scorer Field Of Gold in New Zealand.

Coolmore’s Mark Byrne believes success on Sunday in the Hong Kong Derby would just further commercialise the stallion into what is already becoming a lucrative market for his progeny.

Indeed, at the recent Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, two of the six colts on offer by Starspangledbanner will be Hong Kong-bound, with Merrick Staunton purchasing two yearlings for $170,000 and $220,000.

“It just keeps expanding the market and demand for him,” said Byrne. “We know him in Australia and we know him in Ireland. It would just be another feather in the cap for the horse and especially when you see that Hong Kong is responsible for the purchase of so many yearlings and horses in training, it makes him extremely commercial.”

California Spangle, who finished second in the Hong Kong Mile (Listed, 1600m) before winning the Hong Kong Classic Cup (Listed, 1800m) on February 27, rates as a 7-2 chance to add his name to those stakes race winners over a mile and a quarter, while Champion Dragon, a winner of a Class 3 race over 1800 metres on the undercard that same day presents as a 40-1 shot.

However, even before the success this season of California Spangle, agents and buyers in Hong Kong have turned to the son of Choisir (Danehill Dancer) to bolster their ranks.

Starspangledbanner has, thus far, eight winners from 13 runners in Hong Kong, with five-time winner and Group 3 runner-up Styling City another success story of his in the city. Yet the stallion currently has 11 sons plying their trade in Hong Kong, including the recently imported three-year-olds Lucky Banner for Caspar Fownes and British winner Jazz Club for Francis Lui.

An affinity for mares with staying bloodlines has seen the progeny of Starspangledbanner earn potent successes over a middle distance, with his increased popularity in Hong Kong, at least in part, due to his progeny’s new found prowess for a longer trip, with those bred in the northern hemisphere proving the most popular choice.

California Spangle, a €150,000 yearling from the Goffs Orby sale, is out of of the High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) mare Pearlitas Passion, also the producer of the stakes-placed Princess Pearlita (Manduro), while Champion Dragon hails from the Teofilo (Galileo) mare Via Lattea and was a €57,000 buy for Avenue Bloodstock and Hugo Palmer from the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.

“A big part of (his progeny’s success over a middle distance) is the mares that he’s covered. They’re only going to keep getting better and better,” Byrne said. “This horse (California Spangle) is out of a High Chaparral mare which offers a stamina influence and he (Starspangledbanner) will keep bringing the speed and class, so it’s not that surprising.

“Everyone in Hong Kong is looking at things so intently, and you can see certain stallions that do well out there, there’s an increase in demand for the progeny of those sires at the yearling sales or horses in training.

“If a Starspangledbanner goes and wins a maiden very well or even a black type race, it increases the value of them for the resale market to Hong Kong, so it’s a big factor.”

California Spangle will face the Danny Shum-trained race favourite and Hong Kong Classic Mile (Listed, 1600m) winner Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in Sunday’s feature, as well as his British-bred counterpart Turin Redsun (Dubawi) for Douglas Whyte while the leading southern hemisphere contenders include The Irishman (Tavistock) for Francis Lui and the Caspar Fownes-trained pair Senor Toba (Toronado) and Rocket Spade (Fastnet Rock).

Romantic Warrior’s rider Karis Teetan, who rode a four-timer at Sha Tin on Saturday and finished second on Russian Emperor (Galileo) in last year’s running of the race, believes the gelding has plenty to offer this weekend.

Romantic Warrior won his first five starts including the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Mile in January, before covering ground last time out to finish fourth behind California Spangle in the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Cup.

“The good thing about this horse is he has a powerful turn of foot, so let’s hope we can pull a draw on Thursday which will benefit him,” Teetan said. 

“He tries his heart out, he is just a horse who goes out there and tries his heart out, I think he’s doing well at the moment and if things go our way we have a shot.”

The barrier draw for the Hong Kong Derby will take place on Thursday.

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