Ryan Moore eyes Hong Kong Derby glory with Mickley in high-stakes return
Ryan Moore is preparing to return to Hong Kong to ride the John Size-trained Mickley in the HK$26 million (£2.6m) BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday 23 March, one of seven rides he has picked up on the card.
Mickley disappointed when finishing last in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, the second leg of the Hong Kong 4-Y-O Classic Series, last time out but better is expected this weekend.
Speaking about his prospects ahead of Sunday’s Derby, Moore said: “There’s no getting away from it, Mickley was a big disappointment last time. That couldn’t have been his true running as he ran a very good race in the Classic Mile.
“John [Size] has sent him up to China [Conghua], and he says he’s happy with him. It’s hard to be confident off the back of a race like that, and I don’t know how he’ll run. John has supported me for many years, and this was always his plan, so we’re sticking to it.”
Moore is confident the former Royal Ascot Britannia Handicap winner can see out the trip, which could pose a question for some of his opponents.
“His previous run at a mile-and-a-quarter does show he can run the trip and there’s a few horses in here that look like they will as well, but for the bulk of the field, it wouldn’t be their preferred distance,” Moore said.
“10 furlongs at Sha Tin is an easier test than 10 furlongs at somewhere like Ascot, but it’s still a mile-and-a-quarter. You start on the bend, so usually they have to go early to get a position that you want. I was happy with my draw [stall three], which gives me an opportunity to slot into a nice position, and then it’s whether he can bounce back to his previous form.”
Ping Hai Star, also trained by Size, remains Moore’s sole Hong Kong Derby winner and the leading rider believes this year’s race to be a wide-open affair.
“I think it’s a very open race, and there are many horses you can give a chance to. Rubylot and My Wish deserve plenty of respect and look the ones to beat on paper, while the likes of Johannes Brahms and Francis Lui’s Packing Angel look solid. Then you have the new horses like Bundle Award and Lo Rider, so it’s a hard race to weigh up.
“I’d say that the Hong Kong Derby – particularly for the Hong Kong owners – is probably their most important race. Every year people are trying to buy horses for it, so it’s very hard to get into. The last couple of years, you’ve had Voyage Bubble, Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty win the race, so it shows you that you usually need a very good horse to win it.
Aside from Mickley, Moore has also picked up six other rides on the card for long-time supporters in Hong Kong Size and Lui.
He said: “I’m really pleased to pick up a nice book of rides on the card. Divano is a nice ride to pick up, and Masterofmyuniverse ran well last time.”
The BMW Hong Kong Derby will be run at 8:05am (UK time) and forms part of a 10-race programme at Sha Tin, beginning at 5:00am (UK time).
Photo credit: Credit: HKJC
