Southern hemisphere breeders lay claim to Hong Kong Derby

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Hong Kong might be famed on the world stage for its pulsating Group 1 racing, where north meets south in a clash of global stars, but ask any Hong Kong owner which race they’d like to win, and the response would almost unanimously be the Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m). 

The 2023 renewal of the HK$25 million (approx. AU$4,749,570) race, restricted to Hong Kong-based four-year-olds, takes centre stage this Sunday at Sha Tin, but it will be almost exclusively Australian and New Zealand breeders vying for glory in this year’s prestigious Derby.

Of the 13 geldings and one filly set to line up in the contest, all but one was bred in the southern hemisphere, as the Australian and New Zealanders seek to wrestle back control of a title that’s been theirs in all but three of the last 13 years, but relinquished possession of the trophy to the British-bred Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) a year ago.

Australia will have ten locally bred participants in the race, with New Zealand, which has produced ten winners of the Derby this century, offering three.

Last year’s race served up a thrilling finish between the two market favourites, as Romantic Warrior outgunned a brave California Spangle (Starspangledbanner) to win by a head, and this season bookmaker odds are painting a similar picture.

Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner), the ride of champion jockey Zac Purton, will be hoping to exact revenge for his sire as the $2.50 favourite and defeat the $4 second elect Super Sunny Sing (Nicconi).

Without a breeding industry, horses for Hong Kong are exclusively sourced from elsewhere, either as a private purchase (PP), or as an untried privately purchased griffin (PPG).

But from where have this year’s runners been sourced?

Experienced agent John Foote, with three purchases in the race, is the most represented buyer.

Foote bought the race favourite, Beauty Eternal, a last-start winner of a 1600-metre Class 2 event, for $90,000 from the Inglis Classic Sale, an auction which is also the most represented in the race.

Trained by John Size, a three-time winner of the Derby who has three runners in the race this time around, Beauty Eternal was sourced from the Fernrigg Farm draft.

Three other contenders for Sunday’s Derby were also plucked from the February Inglis sale, with Foote securing second-favourite Super Sunny Sing for $48,000 from the Noogee Park draft, while trainer Ricky Yiu purchased Voyage Bubble (Deep Field), winner of the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Listed, 1600m), for $380,000 – the second-highest priced horse in this year’s field.

Gold Coast-based trainer David Vandyke selected Class 1 winner Keefy (All Too Hard) from the Vinery Stud draft for $105,000. Keefy raced eight times in Australia for Vandyke, winning twice and finishing second in the $1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m) before his private purchase for Hong Kong.

Foote’s third runner in the race is the Caspar Fownes-trained Galaxy Witness, a son of influential Hong Kong sire Star Witness (Starcraft), who the agent purchased for $160,000 from the Edinglassie draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The most expensive horse to take his place in the Hong Kong Derby this year is Sword Point, a son of American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile), who Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster purchased for $750,000 from the Coolmore draft at Magic Millions.

After eight starts in Australia, and a Group 2 placing in the Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 1850m), Sword Point was exported to Hong Kong, where his lead-up race resulted in a second-placed finish behind Super Sunny Sing in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (Listed, 1800m), the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Series, on February 26.

The only filly in the field, the David Hayes-trained Bon’s A Pearla (Bon Hoffa), is also the only horse in this year’s field not to have passed through a public auction.

A Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr 2, 1400m) winner, Bon’s A Pearla finished third in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and fourth in the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) for Kevin Corstens before being transferred to Hong Kong.

The solitary northern hemisphere-bred horse in this year’s line-up is the outsider, Encountered, who is a son of Coolmore shuttle stallion Churchill (Galileo).

The 14-runner field are represented by 14 different sires, but leading Hong Kong stallions Deep Field (Northern Meteor), All Too Hard (Casino Prince), Toronado (High Chaparral) and Redwood (High Chaparral) all have runners in the race, while young Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino (Tavistock) will have the chance to increase his stock in Hong Kong through Beautyverse, one of two runners in the Derby sold by Westbury at auction. 

11 for Al Maher

King Of The Court (5 g ex The Housekeeper by Octagonal) provided Stockwell Thoroughbreds stallion Al Maher (Danehill) with an 11th individual winner from 19 starters in Hong Kong when he scored in a Class 4 handicap over 1600 metres at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Ridden by Lyle Hewitson for Douglas Whyte, the five-year-old gelding held on well in the closing stages having made most of the running to beat Kung Fu Tea (Shocking) by a half-length with a further neck back to Sturdy Ruby (Street Boss) in third place. King Of The Court is the only foal to race out of the Octagonal (Zabeel) mare The Housekeeper, who has a yearling colt by Unite And Conquer (Hinchinbrook). Al Maher stands for a fee of $8,800 (inc GST).


Seven for Brazen Beau

The Frankie Lor-trained Super Vince (4 g ex Silent Rush by Charge Forward) provided his sire Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) with a seventh individual winner from 11 runners in Hong Kong when narrowly landing a 1200-metre handicap at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Ridden by Karis Teetan, the four-year-old gelding chased the pace before being produced to lead a furlong and a half out, keeping on well inside the final furlong to deny E Universe (Super One) by a neck with the same distance further back to the third-placed Timestorm (Outreach). Super Vince, formerly known as Corvino when trained in Australia by Mick Kent, is the only winning foal out of the winning Charge Forward (Red Ransom) mare Silent Rush. Brazen Beau stands at Northwood Park in Victoria for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).


Five for Vettori

Pegasus General (5 g ex Umniyah by Burooj) became the fifth individual winner from 11 runners in Hong Kong for his sire Vettori (Machiavellian) when scoring in a Class 3 handicap over 1800 metres at Happy Valley on Wednesday. The Jimmy Ting-trained five-year-old gelding was ridden by Matthew Chadwick and made progress from midfield late in the contest, leading a furlong out and kept on from the fast-finishing Satirical Glory (So You Think) to win by a head, with Tianchi Monster (Shocking) a further nose behind in third place. A Grade 1 winner in his native Brazil, Pegasus General is out of the stakes-placed winning mare Umniyah (Burooj).


Five for Sweynesse

The David Hall-trained Speedstar (4 g ex That Jamaican Girl by Shinko King) provided Novara Park stallion Sweynesse (Lonhro) with a fifth individual winner from nine runners in Hong Kong when landing a Class 5 handicap over 1400 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Ridden by Hugh Bowman, the four-year-old gelding was midfield throughout most of the contest before being ridden to challenge over a furlong out and kept on well to lead inside the final 50 yards and score a shade cosily, beating Asian One (Ocean Park) by a neck with the same distance further back to Travel Glory (Savabeel) in third place. Out of the Shinko King (Fairy King) mare That Jamaican Girl, Speedstar is a half-brother to winner Bob Marlie (El Hermano). Sweynesse stands for a fee of $9,000 (inc GST).


Seven for Manhattan Rain

Happy Golf (4 g ex Testa The Water by Testa Rossa) became the seventh individual winner from 13 runners in Hong Kong for Manhattan Rain (Encosta De Lago) when scoring in a Class 4 handicap over 1200 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Ridden by Hugh Bowman for Frankie Lor, the four-year-old gelding travelled in midfield before being ridden to lead with a furlong left to run and keeping on strongly to comfortably beat Easy Snip (Snippetson) by a length and a quarter with a further short-head back to Moduleconstruction (Overshare) in third. Out of the Testa Rossa (Perugino) mare Testa The Water, Happy Golf is a half-brother to winners Laser Victory (Brazen Beau), The Mayor (Danerich), I’m Too Hot (Strategic Maneuver) and Allisam (Al Samer). Manhattan Rain stands at Geisel Park Stud for $8,800 (inc GST).


Nine for All American

The David Hayes-trained Regent Glory (5 g ex Amphlett by Rock Of Gibraltar) provided his sire All American (Red Ransom) with a ninth individual winner from 16 runners in Hong Kong when running out a commanding victor of a Class 4 handicap over 1400 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Ridden by Karis Teetan, the five-year-old gelding made all and kept on well when asked for an effort to beat Turin Warrior (Not A Single Doubt) by one and a quarter lengths with a further neck back to Charmander (Shooting To Win) in third place. Out of the winning Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill) mare Amphlett, Regent Glory is a half-brother to winners Sandpiper (Rebel Raider), Universal Pleasure (Universal Ruler) and Universal Appeal (Universal Ruler). All American stands at Geisel Park Stud for a fee of $6,600 (inc GST).


12 for Pierro

Winning Steps (4 g ex Crystal Fairy by Perugino) became the 12th individual winner from 20 runners in Hong Kong for Coolmore stallion Pierro (Lonhro) when he scored in a Class 4 handicap over 1800 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Racing keenly in midfield under Alexis Badel, the Pierre Ng-trained four-year-old gelding was delivered to lead entering the final furlong and battled gamely in the closing stages to hold off Go Go Sixteen (Per Incanto) by a head with a further neck back to Flying Mojito (Dundeel) in third place. Out of the winning Perugino (Danzig) mare Crystal Fairy, Winning Steps is a half-brother to five winners including Running Bull (War Pass) and Fairy Song (Lope De Vega). Pierro stands for a fee of $99,000 (inc GST).


First for Belardo

The John Size-trained Red Lion (4 g ex Crystal Idea by Namid) provided his sire Belardo (Lope De Vega) with a first individual winner in Hong Kong from five starters when readily accounting for his rivals in a Class 3 handicap over 1400 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Ridden by Zac Purton, the four-year-old gelding travelled in midfield throughout before being ridden for an effort inside the final two furlongs and leading inside the last 150 yards to score by one and a quarter lengths over Chiu Chow Spirit (Zoustar) with a further half-length back to Capital Legend (Capitalist) in third. Red Lion is the only foal to win out of the winning Namid (Indian Ridge) mare Crystal Idea. Belardo shuttles to Haunui Farm in New Zealand for a fee of $10,000 (plus GST).


34 for Not A Single Doubt

Golden Express (4 g ex Vandancer by Savabeel) provided his sire Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) with a 34th individual winner from 55 runners in Hong Kong when he ran out an easy winner of a 1200-metre Class 3 contest at Sha Tin on Saturday. Ridden by Zac Purton for John Size, the four-year-old gelding made headway from midfield entering the final two furlongs and stayed on well inside the last furlong to coast to a one and three-quarter length victory over Wonder Kit (Sooboog) with the same distance further back to the third-placed Super Fortune (Zoustar). Golden Express is the only foal to win out of the Group 3-placed winning Savabeel (Zabeel) mare Vandancer. Not A Single Doubt was retired from stallion duties in 2020.