As promised, Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Mile shook up Asian Racing Report’s Hong Kong Derby Rankings, but perhaps not in the way that was expected.
Rather than provide a solid form reference for the remainder of the Four-Year-Old Series, the slow tempo of the race – won by front-runner Voyage Bubble – made it difficult to assess the runs of horses positioned at the rear of the field.
Some four-year-olds may have benefitted in some of our judge’s eyes by not running in the Classic Mile at all, new number three Super Sunny Sing – who jumped from just outside the top 14 last time – being one of them.
The new number one Tuchel was a gutsy second in the Classic Mile and ranked first on five judges’ lists.
New entrants:
Super Sunny Sing 新力高升 (84)
Super Sunny Sing has been creeping up the ratings but didn’t get to the Classic Mile in time. Instead he has racked up three straight wins against older horses, the last a dominant display at a mile. Vincent Ho even dropped a serious name in comparison: Golden Sixty. Even though Vincent qualified it by saying Super Sunny Sing’s turn-of-foot felt “a little like Golden Sixty”, no doubt that comparison gave Chris So’s horse an extra bump on some voter’s rankings.
Beauty Inspire 日日美麗 (75)
Beauty Inspire is another coming from outside the Classic Mile. First-up in Hong Kong on Sunday, beauty Inspire caught the eye running home for fifth from 13th on the turn in a Class 3 over 1400m. The Irish G3 winner hadn’t raced for nearly 18-months and will have to qualify for the Derby via the handicaps, but one judge has John Size’s smokey ranked fourth on his list.
2023 Hong Kong Derby: updated rankings
1. Tuchel 自勝者強 (88) ⬆️
2. Sword Point 知足常樂 (84) ⬆️
3. Super Sunny Sing 新力高升 (84) ⬆️🚨
4. Beautyverse 美麗宇宙 (88) ⬇️
5. Galaxy Witness 喜旺駒 (84) ⬆️
6. Voyage Bubble 遨遊氣泡 (93) ⬆️
7. Majestic Colour 彩虹千里 (80) ⬆️
8. Sweet Encounter 魅力知遇 (86) ⬇️
9. Keefy 瑪瑙 (100) ⬇️
10. Beauty Inspire 日日美麗 (75) ⬆️🚨
11. Beauty Eternal 永遠美麗 (74) ⬆️
12. La City Blanche 當年情 (80)
13. Sinba 開心寶貝 (79) ⬇️
14. Viva Chaleur 爆熱 (84) ⬇️
Previous week’s Hong Kong Derby rankings
Asian Racing Review: G1 Stewards’ Cup day
