Playa Del Puente and Extra Brut Headline The HK Derby
Playa Del Puente’s headlines the BMW Hong Kong Derby pecking order and the 3yo will attempt to confirm that position at Sha Tin.
Danny Shum’s charge takes on 11 talented rivals in Class 2 Maurice Handicap (1650m) including the high profile Australian import 2018 Gr.1 Victoria Derby winner Extra Brut.
Joao Moreira has ridden Playa Del Puente (127lb) in two of his three Hong Kong starts and is aiming to go back-to-back having guided the Irish import to a front-running three-length score over the course and distance last time.
Extra Brut (130lb) is set to make his Hong Kong debut for trainer Frankie Lor, with champion jockey Zac Purton having passed positive feedback to the handler after partnering the four-year-old in a dirt track gallop last week.
The trainer won all three legs of last year’s Classic Series: Furore won the Hong Kong Classic Mile and BMW Hong Kong Derby, while Mission Tycoon collected the Hong Kong Classic Cup.
Lor’s Morethanlucky (130lb), third in the 2018 Hong Kong Classic Mile, is slated to join the line-up, returning to the Valley for the first time since May 2017.
The race looked a little bit weak and he had a race at Happy Valley a long time ago so I put him in, the trainer said of his Conghua-based charge who is without a win in 13 months.
Last time at Sha Tin he looked like he’d improved a bit. Our horses in Conghua go well and have shown when they come back from Hong Kong that they can run well.
Credit - HKJC