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Hong Kong Derby Rankings: As easy as 1, 2, 3 as Beauty Eternal cements his place on top

Super Sunny Sing stamped himself as a class four-year-old in the Hong Kong Classic Cup but on the undercard Beauty Eternal left no doubt about the consensus top pick for the 2023 Hong Kong Derby on March 19.

Beauty Eternal, the number one seed. (Photo by Lo Chun Kit)

Michael Cox

Editor

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As the Hong Kong Derby draws closer an undisputed top three has emerged – with an even clearer number one – at the top of Asian Racing Report’s Hong Kong Derby rankings.

Sunday’s devastating Class 2 winner Beauty Eternal is now a clear top seed after coming up number one on eight of the ten voter ballots, and second on the remaining two. 

The Hong Kong Classic Cup on the same card was meant to be the main show for Derby contenders, but earlier in the day, Beauty Eternal confirmed what many suspected by stamping himself as clear top pick for next month’s big race. 

Jumping 1.1 favourite in the 1600m Class 2, Beauty Eternal showed all of the attributes that have seen him rocket from Class 3 and a rating of 65 in January to a dominant Class 2 win and his current mark of 94. 

Beauty Eternal has blistering early speed, the ability to settle and slot into a position mid-race and a race-breaking turn-of-foot. He is also in the stable of the man who many believe is the greatest trainer in Hong Kong history, John Size. 

The Classic Cup winner Super Sunny Sing has also made a rapid rise through the ratings of his own. Chris So’s exciting prospect won off a rating of 60 on International Day and has now won three in a row to also be rated 94. 

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Super Sunny Sing runs down Sword Point in the Classic Cup. (Photo by HKJC)

Rounding out the top three picks from our panel of experts is Sword Point, who ran a bold second in the Classic Cup after being ridden against what would seem his most effective pattern. 

Rightly sensing that the Classic Cup could be run at a similarly steady tempo to the Classic Mile, in which jockey Jamie Kah dominated in front on Voyage Bubble, Hugh Bowman elected to put Sword Point closer to the speed. 

The tactical switch seemed the right move and that adaptability should come in handy on March 19 when Hugh Bowman attempts to win his third Hong Kong Derby. 

Galaxy Witness (up one spot to fourth) and Flagship Warrior (unranked to sixth) were others to move up in the rankings, while the ‘new’ horse on the scene is Straight Arron, who re-enters the top 14 after appearing in the very first iteration.

Straight Arron brought strong Australian form to Hong Kong but had failed to fire in three starts under David Hayes.

A transfer to Caspar Fownes appears to have turned him around and a Class 3 victory over a mile on Sunday was good enough to propel him to number seven in our rankings. 

2023 Hong Kong Derby: updated rankings

1. Beauty Eternal 永遠美麗 (94) ⬆️

2. Super Sunny Sing 新力高升 (94 ) ⬆️

3. Sword Point 知足常樂 (89) ⬆️

4. Galaxy Witness 喜旺駒 (86) ⬆️

5. Tuchel 自勝者強 (88) ⬇️

6. Flagship Warrior 旗幟鬥士 (84) ⬆️

7. Straight Arron 直線力山 (81) ⬆️

8. Atullibigeal 增有 (85) ⬆️

9. Voyage Bubble 遨遊氣泡 (93) ⬇️

10. Sinba 開心寶貝 (79) ⬆️

11. Majestic Colour 彩虹千里 (80) ⬆️

12. Bon’s A Pearla 一代天嬌 (80) ⬆️

13. Keefy 瑪瑙 (99) ⬇️

14. Beautyverse 美麗宇宙 (87) ⬇️

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