In the sixth instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, Manfred Man’s Patch Of Cosmo is in the spotlight after returning from injury with a striking victory at Sha Tin recently.

With just days until the first leg of the prestigious 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) this Sunday (1 February) – and with the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March on the horizon, Patch Of Cosmo has stamped himself as one of the city’s leading four-year-olds after brushing off a tendon injury.

Victorious in four of 11 starts before the left fore tendon injury he suffered in March last year, Patch Of Cosmo’s fifth career success – a barnstorming effort down the middle of the track in the Class 3 Tennis 1600m Handicap on 18 January – pushed his career prize money past HK$5 million.

The son of 2019 G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner Super Seth lifted himself to a rating of 84 with his recent Sha Tin success, making him the joint-sixth highest-rated galloper among the entries for this weekend’s Hong Kong Classic Mile.

Man earned praise from Zac Purton for his training effort after the jockey booted the galloper to victory under top weight of 135lb on 18 January. However, the star Australian has committed to riding Pierre Ng-trained Sagacious Life on Sunday.

That means Matthew Chadwick gets his chance to reunite with Patch Of Cosmo after winning twice from three rides aboard the gelding last season.

“I like this horse. He’s a lovely character and he’s got a lovely big stride on him. He’s always given me a good feel, and I was never certain where his ceiling was,” Chadwick said. “It was unfortunate he had that setback last season. I liked the way he was going about his work and his races.

“You’d like to think he’s got improvement for the run and having a win under his belt. The way it looked, it was a nice race to come back into – the way it was run, and he got a nice run through carrying top weight.

“They’re all positives coming back and I’m sure Manfred has him well. It seems he pulled up nicely and he’s ticking all of the boxes.

“It’s shaping up to be a very open, competitive field, so it’s going to be very interesting. But I don’t think he’ll be out of place. Last season, I was very happy with him.”

Patch Of Cosmo will take on the likes of Sagacious Life, Little Paradise, Invincible Ibis and Beauty Bolt in a vintage edition of the Hong Kong Classic Mile.

“It’s shaping up to be a good mile. Hopefully they go a nice even tempo that gives everyone a chance and then the best horse will win,” Chadwick said.

“It’s a very good year and the Club will be very happy. It looks like a lot of them haven’t hit their peak and it looks like there will be five or six who will be rated over 100 eventually.

“It’s an exciting race and hopefully it will be a good finish. This is exciting for Hong Kong racing. I’m excited and I rarely say that. It’s a race that you want to watch.”

The Contenders

Road to the Derby: Jimmy Ting’s Little Paradise charges into Classic Mile contention

Road to the Derby: Chris So eyes Four-Year-Old Classic Series challenge for progressive Top Dragon

Road to the Derby: Numbers add up as Frankie Lor targets Four-Year-Old Classic Series

Road to the Derby: Invincible Ibis underlines potential as Mark Newnham seeks more Four-Year-Old Classic Series glory

Road to the Derby: Exciting Brazilian import Sagacious Life aims to add Hong Kong to his Derby honours roll