By Alan Carasso
With just under two weeks remaining to the HK$18-million (£1.9 million) BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), several of the chief protagonists took part in a busy Tuesday morning of trials at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss, rating 114) will be looking to become the first to sweep the 4-year-old series and will be fancied to do so based on the strength of his victories in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m). One of as many as six Derby runners for the John Moore barn, the chestnut gelding drew gate one in the early morning din and was given an easy time of it, racing in the clear throughout before coming home seventh, about 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner (video). Moore said the trial went just about according to plan.
“Rapper Dragon has never been a flashy trialler and again he just did what he had to do,” the conditioner told the Hong Kong Jockey Club's David Morgan. “That was what we wanted and what we expected. There's still more to come, he'll work at the weekend and he'll have a gallop on the turf next Thursday.”
Stablemate Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}, 100) took his spot a few doors down from Rapper Dragon and was taken back and found the line nicely to finish fourth, then galloped out strongly into the turn. The former Montaigne was a disappointing 11th in the Classic Cup when ridden forward, but the 2016 G1 Rosehill Guineas runner-up will revert to get-back, run-on tactics in the Derby.
“Beauty Generation needed that, he had a good blow,” Moore explained. “The way the connections wanted the horse ridden last time was the undoing of him. We'll look carefully at race tactics for the Derby, but I'd just forget that last run. His trial today was very good and I'm happy.”
Booming Delight (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}, 94) is perhaps most under the radar of the Moore team, but has earned his Derby passport courtesy of three wins on the hop, a pair in Class 3 and a latest success in Class 2 over the Derby trip Feb. 19. He trialled over the all-weather track Tuesday morning, finishing nicely to be fifth (video). Sam Clipperton has been in the boot for all three, but the full-brother to G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Rivet (Ire) will have a new pilot for the Classic.
“Ryan Moore will come in to ride the horse,” Moore confirmed. “He's the dark horse for the Derby. I'm not sure where he stands in comparison to the others. How good is he? I'm not sure. There's a lot of upside there from a rating of 94, so he could turn out to be a real find, but he still has to prove it in this company.”
Of the dozen that entered the gate for trial nine over the 1600 metres, fully eight are engaged for the Derby. While the heat was won by the classy older galloper Horse of Fortune (SAf) (Stronghold {GB}), among the 4-year-olds to catch the eye were the Moore-trained French Group 1 winner Helene Charisma (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}, 93), who finished well for fourth beneath Douglas Whyte; and Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready, 98), the G1 Queensland Derby winner who was stalled out in traffic in the stretch before staying on willingly to be five lengths adrift in eighth. The John Size trainees My Darling (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}, 91) and Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}, 90), sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Classic Cup, were second and tenth behind Horse of Fortune Tuesday. The consistent Seasons Bloom (Aus) (Captain Sonador {Aus}, 97), second in the Classic Mile and third in the Classic Cup, rallied up the inside to finish midfield in sixth (video).
The biggest name among the Derby chances that did not take part in Tuesday's trials was Classic Cup runner-up Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal). The 'TDN Rising Star' galloped over the Sha Tin all-weather, closing his final 400m in a steady :27.1.
Click for full barrier trial results and for the BMW Hong Kong Derby microsite.
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