My Wish and Rubylot head an enthralling group of 14 selected runners for the HK$26 million 148th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin next Sunday (23 March) – the supreme test for Hong Kong’s four-year-old bracket all chasing once-in-a-lifetime glory.  

Victorious in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), the first leg of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series, My Wish shoots for a fifth Hong Kong win and first in the city’s most sought-after contest for his trainer Mark Newnham.

Rubylot is the highest rated runner in the field on 100. Successful in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Rubylot will aim to give two-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer (1997/98 & 1998/99) David Hayes a second Classic win in Hong Kong after super filly Elegant Fashion captured the 2003 edition.

First run in 1873, the BMW Hong Kong Derby is restricted to four-year-old runners over 2000m. Past winners of the coveted crown include River Verdon (1991), Oriental Express (1997), Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Viva Pataca (2006), Ambitious Dragon (2011), Designs On Rome (2014), Werther (2016), Rapper Dragon (2017), Golden Sixty (2020), Romantic Warrior (2022) and Voyage Bubble (2023).

Last year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby was won by Massive Sovereign. Joining the winners of the first two legs of the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series – My Wish and Rubylot – is a cavalcade of stars compiling form references from many corners of the globe.

Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said at today’s (Friday, 14 March) selection announcement: “I would like to congratulate all the owners of the 14 horses selected to run in the BMW Hong Kong Derby next Sunday, which we celebrate as the Hong Kong race which offers once-in-a-lifetime glory.

“BMW Hong Kong Derby Day is one of the great sporting events and attractions in the city for our Hong Kong racing fans and our racing fans from around the world, with the race being broadcast in 26 countries.  The Derby has a rich history stretching back more than 150 years to 1873. To have a runner in the Derby field is an ambition for every horse owner, trainer and jockey in Hong Kong and is already a great achievement. And to win the BMW Hong Kong Derby is the ultimate.

“The Derby has produced a string of world-class horses who have advanced to greatness on the world racing stage, none more so than our global champion Romantic Warrior who won the Derby in 2022. Romantic Warrior also holds the world record for prize money earned after winning Group 1 races in four separate jurisdictions.

“This year’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series has been incredibly competitive with My Wish winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Rubylot winning the Hong Kong Classic Cup with both horses aim for a double in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series but they will be challenged by many rising stars. It is fair to say this year’s Derby is one of the most open in memory.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank BMW and Sime Motors Group (Hong Kong & Macau), which has been the Hong Kong Derby’s sponsor since 2013.”

Second in the 2024 version with a fast-finishing Galaxy Patch, Pierre Ng will chase BMW Hong Kong Derby glory with two-time winner Johannes Brahms, who managed to close off for third in the Hong Kong Classic Cup.

Legendary racing figure Tony Cruz and the BMW Hong Kong Derby have been intertwined since Cruz tasted his first success in the race as a jockey in 1983. He won the race three more times in 1987, 1988 and 1995, while as a trainer he has prevailed with Lucky Owners (2004) and Helene Mascot (2008).

Cruz, 68, saddles Stunning Peach and five-time winner Californiatotality. Stunning Peach, formerly based in Ireland, made ground to finish sixth in the Hong Kong Classic Cup.

Cruz’s wins as a jockey came aboard Co-Tack (1983), Tea For Two II (1987), Clear City (1988) and Makarpura Star (1995).

Francis Lui swept all three legs of the 2020 Four-Year-Old Classic Series with Golden Sixty, who is only the second horse to achieve that feat after Rapper Dragon (2017), and Lui is represented by Packing Angel, Cap Ferrat and Steps Ahead.

John Size has won the BMW Hong Kong Derby three times with Fay Fay (2012), Luger (2015) and Ping Hai Star (2018). Hong Kong’s master horseman – a 12-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer – fields Bundle Award, Mickley and Beauty Alliance this year.

Bundle Award raced into contention for Size after posting a last-to-first Class 2 success earlier this month at Sha Tin under jockey Ben Thompson, who rides the horse again, while a pair of brilliant wins at Happy Valley, including last Wednesday (12 March) by over three lengths, sees an exciting Beauty Alliance complete Size’s trio.  

Following Massive Sovereign’s success in 2024, trainer Dennis Yip is going for a second straight triumph with Noisy Boy in the BMW Hong Kong Derby. A course and distance winner two starts ago in Class 2, Noisy Boy is aiming to bounce back after fading to 13th in the Hong Kong Classic Cup.

A graduate of the 2024 Hong Kong International Sale, Markwin will be trainer Cody Mo’s first runner in the BMW Hong Kong Derby. The son of I Am Invincible has earned HK$4.4 million across nine runs headlined by two wins – including a last-start second to Bundle Award at Class 2 level to enhance his rating to 81.

Caspar Fownes is a dual BMW Hong Kong Derby-winning trainer after Super Satin (2010) and Sky Darci (2021). The 57-year-old is represented by Harzand gelding Lo Rider – a two-time winner in Ireland at Cork and The Curragh before arriving in Hong Kong.

Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “The BMW Hong Kong Derby is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar – a once-in-a-lifetime challenge that every owner aspires to have a runner in, or better still, win. We are expecting 2025 to provide another memorable chapter to an enduring story of excellence, and as the 148th edition of the race in Hong Kong, we are immensely proud of its history.”

“The honour roll speaks for itself. In recent years we have seen the likes of Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble follow BMW Hong Kong Derby glory with Group 1 successes at Sha Tin and, overseas in the case of Romantic Warrior. The 2025 renewal is shaping as another remarkable edition with a host of incredible talents converging on Sha Tin next Sunday.”

The race, which is limited to 14 runners, has four reserves: Mondial, Sky Heart, Pray For Mir and Sky Trust.