By Alan Carasso
In the span of just 70 days, Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) has made rapid progression in Hong Kong, and the much-ballyhooed import can cement his status atop this year's Classic generation in Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Cup, the final prep race for the Hong Kong Derby a further four weeks down the road.
Having arrived with lofty expectations–he was, after all, a Group 2 winner in New Zealand and Australia and runner-up in last year's G1 Queensland Derby–Werther belied fat odds on his 1600-meter local bow Dec. 13 to score handsomely and lost no admirers last time, finding the line hard to be a close second to Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in the Jan. 24 Hong Kong Classic Mile. While there are distance queries about that day's winner, there are no such concerns where it comes to Werther, who will once again be put through his paces by Hugh Bowman.
“It's been said that you only need a good miler to win the Derby here in Hong Kong, well I haven't got a good miler I've got a good 1800/2000-metre horse. He'll hit the line really strongly,” trainer John Moore assured. “He's a decent acquisition and I think he's a horse that can go on after the Derby and compete in those Group 1 races like the QEII Cup. I think he might be one that could do Hong Kong proud.”
For a horse that has done as little wrong as Sun Jewellery, he certainly has his fair share of detractors and those voices will be even louder Sunday. The chestnut, once-beaten in six local appearances, dropped his seasonal comebacker Nov. 14, but also proved victorious on the International Races undercard before taking his spot in the Classic Mile. Hounded by those distance questions, he was a generous 8-1 in the first leg of the Triple Crown and won it well, though Werther was getting to him with every stride. Trainer John Size is philosophical as he approaches this nine-furlong assignment.
“Distances are always a concern for horses that haven't tried them before,” said Size. “Alternatively, they haven't failed at the distance either. If the horse hasn't proved or disproved that they can't run over the trip, then you may as well try.”
Blizzard (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) is another hard-knocking member of this generation who will continue to chase the Derby dream until he convinces his connections that he cannot cope with these longer trips. Forced to carry top weight of 133 pounds in a Class 2 handicap over 1400 meters Dec. 27, he was far from disgraced behind a powerful run from Thewizardofoz (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and he turned in yet another honest effort in the Classic Mile, running on to finish under two lengths behind Sun Jewellery.
Giovanni Canaletto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), fourth to Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the G1 Epsom Derby and third in the Irish equivalent, touched 100-1 in the Classic Mile off some lacklustre trials, but he finished with credit in sixth. He will benefit from Sunday's added real estate and from Joao Moreira taking over at the controls.
Eastern Express (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) has the distinction of already being a winner over the Derby distance of 2000 meters, having earned his way into this with a 3/4-length success in Class 3 Jan. 31. He'll need to find further improvement to prove he can mix it with these much heavier hitters off a rating of 81, some 29 points inferior to Sun Jewellery.
Click for the HKJC form guide.
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