Lor Legend Grows As Furore Achieves Derby Glory

To say there has been no sophomore slump for trainer Frankie Lor would be the understatement of the millennium.

On the heels of a freshman season that saw him tally 65 winners–breaking the previous record of his mentor and close friend John Size–the homegrown Lor had already ascended to new heights when sending out Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and Glorious Forever (GB) (Archipenko) to victories in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint and Cup, respectively, back in December. Unlike Size, Lor went without a BMW Hong Kong Derby entrant in his first year out on his own, but the 53-year-old was in with three legitimate chances in Sunday's 2000-metre domestic centrepiece.

It took Size 10 years to get his first Derby (Fay Fay {NZ}, 2012), but Lor, who is assisted by his son Lok, was looking to become the first to sweep the Classic series with different horses, as Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) bulled his way to victory in the Classic Mile in late January before Mission Tycoon (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) caused a 91-1 upset in the Classic Cup last month, defeating stable companion Dark Dream (Aus) (All American {Aus}) with Furore a running-on fourth in a paceless renewal. The promoted 2018 G1 Rosehill Guineas third wasn't done any favours when he was assigned gate 12 at Thursday's barrier draw, but Hugh Bowman was able to work out a good trip despite the wide alley, and the duo came away late to give his conditioner what figures to be the first of many Derby scores.

“I can't express my feelings,” Lor told the HKJC's David Morgan. “To have one horse to even run in the Derby–now I've won the Derby, so it's a dream come true!”

Bowman's Ride Good, Furore's Effort Better…

With that effort in the Classic Cup–in which Furore got too far behind and just couldn't bridge the gap–squarely on his mind and given his double-digit gate, Bowman rode the half-brother to Blizzard (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) for a bit of speed, and when Mission Tycoon went forward to engage Classic Mile/Classic Cup third Ka Ying Star (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), Bowman was able to slot in to the three-back, one out spot, covering Sunny Speed (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) as they headed towards the riverside portion of the course.

Positions were largely unchanged on the backstretch, bar a middle move made by Zac Purton on Dark Dream, who was trapped out a bit and galloped into a more prominent position approaching the final 800 metres. Still giving Bowman a rocking-chair ride midway on the final turn, Furore enjoyed cover on the back of Dark Dream and was pulled off that one's heels off the home corner. The pacesetters, each of whom were suspect at the trip, began to tire when the real running started, and while Dark Dream led for a hot second inside the final 300m, Furore had him covered, took command with a minimum of fuss and kicked home a fairly comfortable winner. Favoured Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) settled last but one from gate 14 and had it all to do with three furlongs to travel, but rattled off a final quarter-mile in a slick :22.33 to grab second. Making just his third Hong Kong appearance, Sunny Speed, the last to get a spot in the Derby field, gave jockey Neil Callan a winning feel at the 250m before settling for third on trainer John Moore's 69th birthday. The last two horses to finish third in the Derby, Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) and Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) have since become top horses in Hong Kong.

“Although Furore drew poorly, I was confident he could do the job if I could get him in the right position,” Bowman, who won his first Derby in 2016 with Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), told Morgan. “I had the stablemate [Mission Tycoon], the likely leader, drawn next to me [11]; I thought I could at least go with him to start with and see where we end up. I was able to get a lovely run three pairs back.

“I was pleased when Zac pressed on with Dark Dream,” Bowman continued. “It just gave me the option to get on his back, and he was one of the main dangers. He gave me a dream cart into the race and my horse was able to get the job done as he did over the mile two starts ago.”

With Champions Day about six weeks down the line, Furore is likely to attempt to follow in the hoofprints of fellow Derby winners Vengeance of Rain (NZ), Viva Pataca (GB), Ambitious Dragon (NZ), Designs On Rome (Ire) and Werther (NZ), who all doubled up in the G1 QE II Cup. He will also be given an entry in the G1 FWD Champions Mile, according to Lor.

WATCH: Furore races away with the Hong Kong Derby

Strong Form Down Under…

An NZ$210,000 purchase out of the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale by Australian Bloodstock/Lees Racing, Furore was victorious at Taree, Cessnock, Gosford and Wyong before crossing the line fourth, but placed third, in the G1 Rosehill Guineas 51 weekends ago. Subsequently sixth when stretched to 2400m for the G1 AJC Derby, he showed improvement in his first two Hong Kong starts and his victory in the Classic Mile was surprising not because he lacked talent, but for the fact that the metric mile seemed well short of his best trip. He simply had too much ground to make up after being ridden 'negatively' in the Classic Cup, but turned it around in no uncertain terms Sunday.

Pedigree Notes…

The seventh New Zealand-bred winner of the Derby in the last 13 years and the fifth graduate of the Karaka sales in that stretch, Furore was conceived in Australia and was exported in utero to New Zealand as explained in this TDNAusNZ story last month. Furore is the half-brother to Blizzard, a Group 3 winner and third in a G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint as well as the 2016 Classic Mile and Classic Cup, who is now trained in Singapore by Lee Freedman and was victorious in the Fortune Bowl in the Lion City last month.

According to Jo McKinnon's report in Monday's TDNAusNZ, the Pierro cross over Redoute's Choice has had a 14% strike rate of stakes winners to runners, including Group 1 winners Levendi and Arcadia Queen from 50 starters. Pierro's sire Lonhro has also produced Group 1 winner Kementari from a Redoute's Choice mare. Pierro has 14 yearlings entered at next month's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Stormy Choice, a half-sister to G1 Brisbane Cup winner Danestorm (Aus) (Danehill) and to the stakes-placed dam of Derby also-ran Mr So and So (Aus) (So You Think {NZ}), was not covered in 2018.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
BMW HONG KONG DERBY-LR, HK$18,000,000 (£1,728,195/€2,028,789/A$3,247,021/US$2,292,991), Sha Tin, 3-17, NH/SH4yo, 2000mT, 2:01.30, gd.
1–FURORE (NZ), 126, g, 4, by Pierro (Aus)
1st Dam: Stormy Choice (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
2nd Dam: Shalbourne, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Copperama (Aus), by Comeram (Aus)
(NZ$210,000 Ylg '16 NZBJAN). O-Lee Sheung Chau; B-GSA
Bloodstock Pty Ltd; T-Frankie Lor; J-Hugh Bowman;
HK$10,260,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Aus, 11-6-0-2,
HK$18,881,100. *1/2 to Blizzard (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}), GSW &
G1SP-HK, SW-Sin, $2,112,501.
2–Waikuku (Ire), 126, g, 4, Harbour Watch (Ire)–London Plane
Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€33,000 Ylg '16 TISEP).
O-Jocelyn Siu Yang Hin Ting; B-Riversfield Stud; T-John Size;
J-Joao Moreira; HK$3,960,000.
3–Sunny Speed (GB), 126, g, 4, Havana Gold (Ire)–Almunia (Ire),
by Mujadil. (24,000gns Wlg '15 TATDEF; 15,000gns RNA Ylg '16
TATOCT; €70,000 2yo '17 GORMAY). O-Matthew Wong Leung
Pak, Janice Wong Oi Ying, James Wong Cheuk On & Timothy
Wong Cheuk Tim; B-Whitwell Bloodstock; T-John Moore; J-Neil
Callan; HK$1,800,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, NK. Odds: 49-10, 9-10, 86-1.
Also Ran: Dark Dream (Aus), Ho Ho Khan (NZ), Tianchi Monster (NZ), Red Warrior (Ire), Harmony Victory (Brz), Helene Leadingstar (Aus), Ka Ying Star (GB), Mission Tycoon (Aus), Enrichment (Aus), Gold Chest, Mr So and So (Aus).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing.