Ricky Yiu is hopeful Dragon Joy can take a crucial step towards emulating the feats of decorated stablemate Voyage Bubble when the emerging talent contests the Class 3 Rose Handicap at Sha Tin on Sunday against several other HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby aspirants.
Dragon Joy is a two-time Sha Tin winner (Pic – HKJC)
Yiu has ambitious plans for Dragon Joy after the gelding’s eye-catching last-start 1600m victory at Sha Tin on 12 January against a string of Four-Year-Old Classic Series contenders including Markwin, Sky Heart, Silvery Breeze and Mickley.
Rated 70, the son of Saxon Warrior again clashes with a host of BMW Hong Kong Derby nominees in Sunday’s finale including Allcash, Bundle Award, Embraces, Sky Heart, Morgan Success, Beauty Viva, Spanish Flame, Everyone’s Star, Another World and Winning Wing.
To be partnered by Matthew Poon, Dragon Joy will again have to overcome barrier 14 and carrying 127lb – an increase of 12lb from his previous start.
“He’s a lightly-raced, up-and-coming young horse. He won well last start from a wide barrier and he’ll keep improving. Hopefully we can do the same thing. The jockey knows him well. I strongly believe that he will perform again. I’m still optimistic he can beat them again,” Yiu said.
“He’s a horse who tries very hard. He always shows his best in the morning and in the races. I like him very much. He’s a pure racehorse.”
Yiu hopes Dragon Joy can press for a start in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin on 2 March after two wins and a luckless third from his past three starts.
Ricky Yiu is fifth in the Hong Kong trainers’ championship with 26 wins (Pic – HKJC)
Yiu famously enjoyed Four-Year-Old Classic Series success in 2023 with Voyage Bubble’s Hong Kong Classic Mile and BMW Hong Kong Derby triumphs and is confident his stable spearhead is on course for the HK$13 million Gr1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on 23 February.
Having already won the first leg of the Triple Crown Series with victory in the Gr1 Stewards’ Cup on 19 January, Voyage Bubble will bid for a fourth Group 1 success after finishing third in a 1200m trial on the dirt at Sha Tin on Thursday behind Helios Express.
“He jumped ordinary and the jockey Poon commented that he really didn’t like the kick back. It was only a small field and he was about four lengths behind the leader and from the top of the straight, he pulled him out and asked him to go forward and he accelerated. Without the kickback, he enjoyed it. It was a good trial,” Yiu said.
David Eustace has 16 wins for the season (Pic – HKJC)
David Eustace will unveil Hong Kong first-starter Colourful King in the Class 3 Osmanthus Handicap under Andrea Atzeni after patiently guiding the Australian import through his acclimatisation.
“We took our time and he has his little quirks but, from a training and trackwork point of view, he’s been relatively straight forward,” Eustace said of the two-time winner at Sandown in Australia for Mathew Ellerton.
“He trialled in a straight line well in Conghua and the race has been targeted for a little while. He doesn’t work really flashy on the dirt – he just does enough – but he’s definitely a different horse on the grass. He’s sort of ticked all the boxes.”
By Blue Point, Colourful King has won two trials at Sha Tin since transferring from Conghua.
Ka Ying Rising is chasing a 10th straight win (Pic – HKJC)
Ka Ying Rising limbered up for the HK$13 million Gr1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on 23 February with an effortless trial win over 1200m at Conghua on Friday under Karis Teetan.
“I don’t know about the opposition, but he was very good this morning and he actually sat in behind them before winning easily,” Hayes said. “Karis was very happy. Physically, Ka Ying Rising’s in peak shape and he’s tapering into the big race now.
“He’ll return to Sha Tin on Saturday, do some swimming and he’ll do a bit of work in the middle of the week and then be ready for the races.”
With a record-breaking victory in the Gr1 Centenary Sprint Cup on 19 January, when he broke his own track record by clocking 1m 07.20s, Ka Ying Rising took his unbeaten streak to nine races and secured the first leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series.
In Friday’s hit-out, Ka Ying Rising settled third behind Regal Gem and Absolute Honour before peeling out in the straight and forging away to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1m 11.38s.
Sunday’s 11-race card at Sha Tin starts with the Class 5 Camellia Handicap at 06h30.
