Senior racehorse owner Colin Lo has been involved in horse racing in Hong Kong since the 1990s and this year he is excited to have his first HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) runner when Bundle Award contests the Classic on Sunday (23 March).

Any racehorse owner is eager to participate in one of the city’s most prestigious events – notably the BMW Hong Kong Derby – and Lo is no exception. “I didn’t have the chance to take part in the Hong Kong Derby before, and therefore I am over the moon now that I can have a Derby runner this year,” Lo said after the BMW Hong Kong Derby barrier draw ceremony held this morning (Thursday, 20 March).

Trained by John Size, Bundle Award brought a pleasant surprise to Lo on 9 March when the Shamus Award gelding scored a stylish victory in a Class 2 1800m event to earn him a late admission ticket into the BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Lo recalled that victory: “I thought we would have lost but both the horse and jockey Ben gave a surprise to me! I have to thank Ben and he is really the best jockey to partner my horse, and so I love to see him ride my horse again in the Derby.

 “When I bought him (Bundle Award) at the very first beginning, of course, I did think of the Derby. But in the racing world you can’t always get what you want. I have another four-year-old horse Kempes who is a Group 1 victor in Argentina, but that horse had issues and could not make it in the Derby. Bundle Award, on the other hand, needs time to settle but eventually he can run in the Derby. So, I am very happy.”

Bundle Award will jump from gate nine but Lo said he wasn’t concerned about the draw.

He said: “Judging from how he won last time, our team didn’t think the draw will be an issue, after all he will come from behind in the race. Hopefully, he will improve a bit further and repeat his last-start winning performance.”

Lo believes Bundle Award can see out the Derby trip. “When I bought him from Australia, jockey Michael Dee, who won twice on him, had already told us that the distance of 2000 (metres) will not be a problem,” Lo said. “What impresses me the most is his great turn of foot. He showed it last time.”

Lo developed his interest in horse racing when he went racing with his family in his younger age: “Horse racing brought our family plenty of joy and we all love it,” he said.

“I keep applying in the horse ballot every year and this year is no exception,” he said. In addition to Bundle Award, Bundle Of Charm and Kempes, Lo is also a Member of the Lo Profile Syndicate, which races top class speedstar Howdeepisyourlove, who will run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai on 5 April.