Alexis Badel aims to say au revoir to his winter home on a high this Sunday (17 February) when the progressive Simply Brilliant takes on Hong Kong’s best middle-distance performers in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.

The Frenchman is coming towards the end of an eventful third spell in Hong Kong which has produced nine winners including a dramatic first local Pattern race success when the Frankie Lor-trained chestnut landed the G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley last month.

Triumph almost turned to disaster when Simply Brilliant unseated Badel soon after the winning post, but the popular rider, 28, took less than three weeks to shake off a wrist fracture and rode his first winner since the tumble when Lean Perfection scored at Sha Tin last weekend.

“I realise the accident could have been much worse and the main thing is that I’m back in good form and feeling very lucky,” he said. “I’ve had help from some very good owners and trainers and their support has helped make this stay a real pleasure.”

That injury setback means Badel is a little off the pace that carried him to 14 victories last season but he points to the fact that things could have been much different granted slightly better fortune.

“It’s a question of detail, always,” he said. “I have had a lot of second places which could have been winners with a better draw or a little more luck but I have enjoyed my time here very much again.

“To win my first Group race here on Simply Brilliant and then have the fall a second later made it a race full of emotions and now he moves up to Group 1 level for the first time.”

Simply Brilliant faces a high-class stablemate in G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup hero Glorious Forever – along with a Tony Cruz-trained trio of Exultant, Pakistan Star and Time Warp – and is the second lowest rated horse in the race with an international mark of 104.

And yet Badel feels there is room at the top for a horse who relished 1800m in the January Cup.

“It’s very interesting to see what will happen for Simply Brilliant in this class of race,” he said. “I hope he’s going to be in very good form. His trial win last week was very good and his European pedigree makes me believe he can be very effective moving up to 2000m.”

“For sure, he is in against the best around, but I trust Frankie to produce him in great condition and I trust this horse. He is a son of Frankel with a very big heart and what is absolutely sure is that he will give me everything he has at the weekend.”

Harmony on Derby trail in Classic Cup

A strong showing in Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) is often a pointer to a bold effort on BMW Hong Kong Derby day and Badel warns against underestimating Harmony Victory as he bids to make up for a tough trip in the Hong Kong Classic Mile.

Danny Shum’s gelding was a dual G1 scorer over 1600m and 2000m in his native Brazil and laid down an early Derby marker when coming from well back to win a Class 2 contest over 1800m at Sha Tin in November.

A one-paced fifth behind Dark Dream over 2000m in December was followed by Harmony Victory filling the same position in Furore’s Classic Mile three weeks ago but Badel feels circumstances conspired against him from stall 13.

“This horse needs to be switched off and ridden patiently, so I really didn’t have a lot of choice from that wide draw in the Classic Mile,” he said.

“We went slow and I ended up surrounded by horses who didn’t have a great chance. Still, he ran on very well up the straight despite being bumped and I do think he is better than that run suggests.”

Badel feels an extra 200m and a better draw can enable Harmony Victory to show much more like his true colours on Sunday but is reluctant to be drawn on the possibility of returning from France to partner him in the Derby on 17 March.

“I have faith in him as he is a very talented horse who should be able to improve but it is a bit soon to discuss the Derby. Anything can happen from race to race so for now I’m happy to focus on the next one and then see what happens.”

Next up for Badel is a return to France after Sunday’s fixture for racing at Chantilly on 21 February but Hong Kong remains high on his wish list for next season.

“I hope it is just goodbye until we meet again,” he added. “I will definitely try to be back. I love this place. In fact, it’s hard to imagine my life now without Hong Kong.”