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Helios Express Tops Selected Runners For BMW Hong Kong Derby

Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), winner of the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup in his two most recent appearances, leads a field of 14 selected runners for the HK$26 million (£2.6 million/US$3.3 million) BMW Hong Kong Derby to be held at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday, Mar. 24. The John Size trainee will look to join the likes of the late Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as horses to sweep the series.

Helios Express (rated 102) has been supplanted at the top of the local rankings by Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}), who has climbed to a rating of 103 after finishing a bold second in last weekend's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m). Connections have supplemented him to the Derby for HK$260,000.

Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never), who won two of five starts as Broadhurst for Aidan O'Brien, exploded into Derby calculations by accomplishing the rare feat of winning first-up in Hong Kong over the Derby distance of 2000 metres Mar. 3 while critically earning a 10-pound penalty which qualified him for the race.

American-breds Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) and Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) press on to the Derby and booked their spots by finishing second and third, respectively, in the Classic Cup. Unbelievable (Justify), the former O'Brien-conditioned London Gold Cup H. winner Bertinelli, was well-beaten on Hong Kong debut Feb. 12, but finished under five lengths behind Helios Express in the Classic Cup and the step up in trip should suit.

“The BMW Hong Kong Derby is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar–a race that every owner aspires to have a runner in, or better still, win,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director of Racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “The 2024 edition is shaping as yet another remarkable edition with a host of incredible talents sourced from around the world to race for glory with owners and fans alike are looking forward to the contest with eager anticipation.”

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Size Runners Dominate Market For Hong Kong Classic Cup

Trainer John Size has won the Hong Kong Classic Cup, the second leg of the 4-year-old Triple Crown, no fewer than four times and he'll saddle two of the top fancies as he looks for his first victory in the race since Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in 2011 Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is the lone member of the 14-strong field rated in triple figures (102), has won six of his eight lifetime starts and three of his last four. Drawn neatly in gate two Sunday, the bay was impressive in defeating Class 2 rivals over a mile Jan. 7 and backed up the performance with a 1 3/4-length defeat of Helene Feeling (Ire) (Sioux Nation) and a running-on Star Mac (Aus) (Heroic Valour {Aus}) in a slowly run renewal of the Hong Kong Classic Mile four weeks back. The 1800 metres of Sunday's test is as far as he's been, and he'll need to switch off better if he is to see it out, his connections admit.

Size said: “We're trying to adapt to a distance and to a tempo, which always is an issue for the jockeys who manage the horse through the race, so it depends on the circumstances on the day and what sections they run during the race. So far, he's been okay.”

Size's second entry, Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid), will look to become the first US-bred to take the Classic Cup since Zaidan (Street Cry {Ire}) back in 2012. Placed twice from three overseas runs for James Fanshawe, the bay gelding broke his maiden on local debut over 1800 metres last October and–equally unusually–already owns two victories over the BMW Hong Kong Derby trip of 2000 metres. A horse that grinds it out, he just missed in Class 2 over the metric 10 furlongs, but tries restricted company for the first time in Hong Kong.

“He's been quite unusual the way he came into Hong Kong and won immediately at a distance, that doesn't happen too often so he's sort of stamped himself as one who has adapted to Hong Kong quite quickly,” Size said. “[Being] just a little bit one-paced is probably the chink in his armour, he just doesn't have enough acceleration. But, with that, as long as he's running in a forward position and running freely, that's okay.”

Two other American-breds are rough chances, Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) and Unbelievable (Justify).

Chill Chibi (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) posted four straight wins over the course of last season and this season at Happy Valley before having the streak snapped by subsequent G3 January Cup H. hero Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) Dec. 20. Having missed the Classic Mile via a minor setback, he makes his Sha Tin debut Sunday.

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City of Troy Full-Brother A First Hong Kong Starter For Justify

Unbelievable (Justify), a full-brother to the undefeated Cartier champion 2-year-old colt City of Troy and a veteran of five European starts when racing as Bertinelli for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, will become his boom sire's first starter in Hong Kong in the Class 3 Red Packet H. (1600m) at Monday's Chinese New Year meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse.

A son of G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also the dam of Group 3 winner Military Style (War Front) as well as the latter's full-brothers–the Group 2-placed Absolute Ruler and the listed-placed King of Athens–Unbelievable won his maiden over the Dundalk all-weather in the second of two juvenile appearances last November. A first-up second over a mile and two furlongs at Cork last April, the colt validated 9-2 second favoritism in the London Gold Cup H. at Newbury the following month and was last seen finishing third to subsequent Group 3 winner and G1 St Leger third Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the King George V. S. (Hcp.) at Royal Ascot June 22.

Unbelievable is under the care of trainer Frankie Lor, a former assistant to top conditioners John Moore and John Size and Hong Kong's champion trainer during the 2021/2022 season. He has had a pair of barrier trials, including a running-on fifth Jan. 30 (video) going 1200 meters over the 'all-weather' track, but Lor told the HKJC's Nick Child that preparations have not been entirely straight-forward.

“I wanted to trial him in early December, but he had a temperature, so I had to wait a little bit,” Lor said. “Of course, the trial was a bit short for him, so that's why we start him over 1600 meters, but more ground later on.”

Unbelievable will race in the colors of the Frankie Lor Fu Chuen Trainer Syndicate and would have been imported with the hopes of making the gate for Hong Kong's richest domestic prize, the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) Mar. 24. Monday's race is clearly a jumping-off point, but Lor is hopeful that Unbelievable will do enough between now and then to earn a berth in the field.

“You can see his form is over 200 meters and further, but he's rated 80, so if he can pick up a few points, hopefully he can get into the Derby,” he said.

Unbelievable has drawn gate one in a field of 14 in the ninth race of the program at 4:40 p.m. local time. Derek Leung has the riding assignment.

Unbelievable is one of four sons of Justify currently registered in Hong Kong. The others are Pray For Mir (Aus) (ex Javaja), an A$950,000 Inglis Easter yearling who was perfect in two starts at the Sunshine Coast in Australia prior to his import; Call Me Supreme (Aus); and Miles Away (Aus), a son of SW & GISP Stopshoppingmaria (More Than Ready), who has also produced SW/GSP Mo Shopping (Uncle Mo) and MGSW Always Shopping (Awesome Again).

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