The road to the Hong Kong Derby, the richest domestic race on the local calendar, begins in earnest Sunday with a competitive renewal of the Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Trainer John Size, who won last year's Derby with Luger (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), saddles the two highest-rated runners in the race, and it is not insignificant that leading rider Joao Moreira has gone for Thewizardofoz (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) over Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Sniztel {Aus}), having ridden both to victories in their respective most recent appearances.
Perfect in three starts last term, Thewizardofoz lost some of his luster with two losses to begin the season, including a defeat at the hands of Blizzard (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) on seasonal reappearance Oct. 25. Third, a spot in back of G3 Premio Parioli winner Hero Look (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) Nov. 29, he reversed form with Blizzard with a soft-trip, but dominating victory Dec. 27. 'Thewizard' will leave from the nine hole Sunday afternoon.
Sun Jewellery was dealt his first career loss by Dashing Fellow (Aus) (Duporth {Aus}) in his first try at Class 1 Nov. 11. A comfortable victory on International Races day Dec. 13–with Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) a fast-finishing third–looks even better, as the second and eighth home that afternoon each returned to land pattern races next time out. Sun Jewellery has the 14 hole to overcome and Ryan Moore takes over at the controls.
One of the more expensive private purchases for this year's Classics is Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}). A Group 2 winner in New Zealand and Australia and runner-up in the G1 Queensland Derby, the bay was still no better than a 16-1 chance on his local debut Dec. 13. But, with Hugh Bowman in town for the International Races, Werther raced handy to the pace and quickened up very nicely to win with something to spare while looking like extra distance would be no inconvenience. John Moore goes back to Bowman and it will be interesting to see if Werther can avoid the second-up syndrome which seems to come into play more frequently than not.
Likely to be a fringe player in his first local appearance is Giovanni Canaletto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), third to Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) in last year's G1 Irish Derby and to Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars {Ire}) when last seen in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. The former Aidan O'Brien trainee looks to have something to find off a moderate eighth, over six lengths behind stable companion King Genki (Fr) (Arcano {Ire}) in a barrier trial over 1700 meters at Happy Valley Jan. 16.
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