Mar 17, 20192 min read

BMW HK DERBY DAY: MAY THE HORSEPOWER BE WITH YOU

RACE 1

Not a race that draws us in. It’s just a Class 4 event over 1200 metres and something to watch while lunching on sushi and sashimi and a nice glass of wine. Especially watch the first starter who’s been creatively named Chicken Dance.

Speedy Dragon (3) Flying Victory (8) Mr Croissant (2) Speedy Optimist (10)

RACE 2

Something to just test the feng shui waters with by boxing the four horses below for a quinella and quinella place bets and perhaps first starter Dan Control to win for Zac Purton.

Dan Control (4) California Turbo (3) Aerohappiness (10) Looking Good (12)

RACE 3

Meridian Genius (4) Trust Me (6) Yichuan Blitz (11) Emerald Spur (12)

RACE 4

High Rev (9) Splendour And Gold (2) Empire Star (7) Flash Famous (3)

RACE 5

Smart Rocket (12) Craig’s Star (6) Voyage Star (4) Chairman Lo (1)

RACE 6

This could get messy. 2000 metres for quite a few in Hong Kong not used to these distance races to suffer from brain freeze.

Vincy (7) Glorious Dragon (9) Classic Beauty (3) Dynamic Eagle (14)

RACE 7

Full Of Beauty (5) Flat Heaven (4) Super Hoppy (3) Mr Lumieres (12)

RACE 8

We’ve followed Waikuku even when with John Oxx, so there’s no way that we’ll jump off him now.

As for the so-called “setbacks”, John Size is a master horseman and trainer and if he shrugs these off in his inimitable laid back manner, who are we to argue? Drawing the widest barrier? Over 2000 metres, it could even be a blessing. Wide barriers have never concerned Joao Moreira and we’re sure he’ll ride Waikuku with supreme confidence and as the best horse in the race- and which he is.

The rest of the field remain, well, a little questionable. Furore (3) should run in the top four, Zac Purton hoping for a rain affected track for Dark Dream (2) which he won’t get has us downgrading his chances whereas those who could run into the Quartet at odds include Mission Tycoon (4), Enrichment (8) with Ryan Moore aboard and Tianchi Monster (13), way out of the ratings and a lightweight chance with the services of old Motormouth Craig Williams. He DOES go on…