By Alan Carasso
Every day this week, a member of the TDN's Europe/International team nominates a horse of the season. Alan Carasso returns to Australasia to reflect on the 2017 exploits of the late Hong Kong HOTY Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss)
As the TDN's resident Hong Kong afficionado, I couldn't help but land on Rapper Dragon, who treated fans all over the world to one virtuoso performance after the next in early 2017 before suffering a cruel fate just when he was ready to truly announce his presence as an elite international galloper.
Group 1-placed at two in Australia when conditioned by Gai Waterhouse, Rapper Dragon took a few starts to acclimatise to Hong Kong racing, but when he knocked off future G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile hero Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) as a 3-year-old (albeit in receipt of loads of weight), Hong Kong had its Derby favourite fully 9 1/2 months early.
Even though his Classic campaign was forestalled by setbacks, Rapper Dragon proved that the hype was real when thrashing his peers in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (video) and when he had 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) back in second in the Classic Cup (video). No horse had ever been able to complete the sweep by adding the Hong Kong Derby, but despite some doubts about him seeing out the 2000m trip, the handsome chestnut sat a perfect trip, ran to daylight at the quarter pole and outstayed Pakistan Star to make history (video).
Programmed for the G1 Champions Mile and not the G1 QE II Cup, Rapper Dragon defeated Beauty Only in a Group 2 prep and was odds-on for the Champions Mile. But Joao Moreira felt something go wrong just past midway and pulled up Rapper Dragon, who was rushed to the on-site equine hospital. He was diagnosed with a pelvic fracture, developed 'serious complications' and could not be saved. Though techically ineligible, Rapper Dragon was rightly and poignantly named Horse of the Year for his efforts.
To this day, it is a sad exercise to go to the HKJC website, search Rapper Dragon and see the parenthetical notation 'retired' beneath his name. No one can know for sure exactly how far his star could have risen had he been able to train on, but even in a time in Hong Kong that was far too brief, Rapper Dragon managed to leave a lasting legacy.
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