The crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s four-year-old crop will race for supremacy in the HK$18 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday, 15 March.
The 14 contenders were revealed at the traditional media gathering, held at Happy Valley racecourse this afternoon, Wednesday 4 March. The high-class line-up includes the winners of the first two legs of the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Series, of which the BMW Hong Kong Derby is the third and final leg.
Beauty Only looked very much a star on the rise when winning the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile in January and Tony Cruz’s charge will now attempt to become only the third horse to add Derby glory to a success in that first leg. Meanwhile, second leg victor Thunder Fantasy, from the John Size stable, will try to emulate the outstanding Designs On Rome, who won the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) last year en route to a famous Hong Kong Derby triumph.
BMW, the world renowned automotive manufacturer, is sponsoring the blue riband contest for the third year. Prize money for the 2015 edition is up by HK$2 million on last year’s purse and represents a new high for the race.
“This year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby will be the richest ever staged and it also looks like being one of the most competitive we have ever had, thanks to an array of high-quality four-year-olds all coming together in an exciting clash,” said William A. Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director of Racing.
“This time last year we had two standout candidates in the field, Designs On Rome and Able Friend, both of whom have since proven themselves to be among the best racehorses in the world,” he continued.
“This year the Derby is more open and the top-class potential of several of the runners makes it a particularly enthralling edition. All of the contenders will be battling hard through a gripping and intense two minutes on Sunday week, for that once-in-a-lifetime glory that makes the BMW Hong Kong Derby one of the most coveted events in Hong Kong racing circles.”
As well as Beauty Only and Thunder Fantasy, the Four-Year-Old Series has so far unearthed a few other yet-to-be polished gems with their own Derby aspirations. Redkirk Warrior is an exciting prospect for second-season trainer Chris So and looked to have the Hong Kong Classic Cup in the bag, only for his own inexperience and Thunder Fantasy’s resolution to thwart him as he finished second.
A lot is expected too of last season’s Griffin Trophy victor Luger, a winner of six from nine over the past three seasons. The Size-trained gelding has long excited Hong Kong racing fans, and, like the emergent Dynamism from the David Ferraris stable and the Richard Gibson-trained Got Fly, he heads to the BMW Hong Kong Derby after bypassing the Four-Year-Old Series’ first two legs. Likewise the Size-trained Contentment, who goes to the Derby off the back of a smart Class 2 win last Sunday.
Giant Treasure has placed third in the two legs so far and is expected to have a big say in the Derby, while his Gibson-trained stablemate, Obliterator, ran sixth in the Classic Cup at only his second Hong Kong start. Both horses run in the colours of owner Pan Sutong, for whom Gibson saddled Akeed Mofeed to win the 2013 BMW Hong Kong Derby.
The other selections are the John Moore-trained Helene Happy Star, the Benno Yung-trained Romantic Touch, the Caspar Fownes-trained Gun Pit, Golden Sleep from the Tony Millard stable and the Tony Cruz-trained Anticipation.
