Derby Hopefuls Square Off in Classic Cup

A dozen 4-year-olds face the starter for today’s Hong Kong Classic Cup, the final restricted prep race for the HK$18 million (US$2.32 million) Hong Kong Derby in four weeks’ time. 

Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) knocked out a Class 2 handicap going a mile Nov. 9, but faltered to be 11th as the favorite after racing atypically close to the pace in a similar event on the International Races undercard Dec. 14. He improved some to finish fourth in Class 2 Jan. 4, but came full circle two weeks later, besting the well-regarded Divine Calling (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}) by 2 1/4 lengths in the Hong Kong Classic Mile. He finished with good energy that afternoon for leading rider Joao Moreira, suggesting that today’s trip–and beyond–is well within his scope. 

Though he is rated 16 pounds inferior to the favorite, Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) is getting a fair bit of attention in the markets. The subject of a suspect ride from Gerald Mosse in his local debut which saw the Frenchman sacked for 15 minutes, the chestnut was a close fifth in that Class 3 test over 1400 meters Jan. 4, but overcame a difficult trip last time and clawed back pacesetting favorite Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet) to score by a half-length going the metric mile Feb. 1. 

Making his local debut in this contentious affair is Top Ace (Kitten’s Joy), the lone representative for his sire in Hong Kong. Formerly trained in Italy as Steaming Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey by Gianluca Bietolini, the chestnut annexed the Listed Premio Botticelli at Rome last April and took the G3 Premio Del Giubileo in his penultimate European appearance June 29. He was last seen checking in fifth in the G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville Aug. 15, and has trialled well locally, but hooks some race-fit rivals this afternoon.