Champion trainer John Size produced Ping Hai Star off a hat-trick of 1400m handicap wins to claim last year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and that same formula could pay dividends again, this time with Waikuku.

The Irish import has raced three times in Hong Kong and bids for a hat-trick of 1400m successes in Sunday’s (17 February) Class 2 Citi Wealth Management Handicap. Just like Ping Hai Star in 2018, a third victory on the bounce would confirm his status as a leading Derby candidate.

“He’s a little bit immature compared to Ping Hai Star, in strength and experience,” Size said of the Harbour Watch gelding, who avoids the bustle of the afternoon’s Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), the main Derby lead-up race.

“He hasn’t had much racing so I have to be mindful of that: not to make it too testing for him before the Derby; try to look after him a little bit to make sure he’s got plenty of energy for the big day.”

Waikuku (129lb) is drawn in gate seven this weekend and faces a field of smart rivals, notably top-weight Good Standing (130lb). Injury robbed that John Moore-trained gelding of a berth in last year’s Derby but he put the pieces together last start to defeat another of Size’s current Derby crop, Enrichment.

“Waikuku’s got an awkward draw tomorrow. He might have to cover ground but he’ll benefit from the run and then I’ll decide after that race whether I run him again or whether he just has a trial,” Size said.

“There’s an 1800-metre race on 2 March and I might entertain running him in that.”

Waikuku wins comfortably under Joao Moreira.

Joao Moreira missed out to Ryan Moore in last year’s Derby: having partnered Ping Hai Star in the lead-up, the Brazilian opted for 11th-placed Nothingilikemore in the blue riband itself. But the stable rider indicated that Waikuku could be worth sticking with.  

“He’s a very nice horse, he’s been proving himself and I think there’s plenty more to come,” he said.

“I think what he’s been showing so far you’d be going into the race (on Sunday) with as much confidence as you would want. I have so much faith in this horse that I think he’s going to end up in the Derby; that’s pretty much the plan, and if I think he’s going to end up in the Derby it means I’d better believe that he’s capable of winning handicap races.

“He’s a very nice horse on the up,” he continued. “John has proven that he can do it, get horses into the handicap races until they show themselves to be ready to compete against the best. So far he’s in the perfect path and I’m very much looking forward to what he can do this weekend.”

Sunday’s 10-race card also features a host of Hong Kong’s stars in two Group 1 races, the Citi Hong Kong Gold (2000m) and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), in which Beauty Generation bids to extend his unbeaten run.