Crowning a phenomenal week for trainer Mark Newnham, Invincible Ibis (126lb) vindicated Hugh Bowman’s faith with a record-breaking triumph in the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 March).

Clocking 1m 59.43s, the Hellbent gelding eclipsed Massive Sovereign’s mark of 1m 59.85s, set in 2024, in defeating Numbers – who tried to lead all the way – by one-and-a-quarter lengths with Stormy Grove a luckless third, a further short head away.

Owned by the Ibis Syndicate, Invincible Ibis was given a perfect, ground-saving ride by Bowman to justify the Australian’s confidence in the bay, who had finished sixth to Little Paradise in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and second to Stormy Grove in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m).

Celebrating his third BMW Hong Kong Derby victory after triumphs with Werther in 2016 and Furore in 2019, Bowman was elated to have teamed with Newnham, who saddled five winners at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (18 March).

“The dream was always there but you have to stick with the process and after the Mile, I was very doubtful whether he (Invincible Ibis) was going to be able to bring it together, but I took a lot of confidence out of the 1800m. I thought he was one of five realistic winning chances,” Bowman said.

Settling midfield behind Numbers and Seraph Gabriel after jumping smoothly from barrier three, Invincible Ibis was given the run of the race by a patient Bowman, who bided his time until the field straightened before emerging to challenge Numbers.

“As we started to come round the home turn, I thought ‘I’m in business here, I really am’,” Bowman said. “The run was economical, so when I brought him to the outside and let him down, it was no surprise that he went the way that he did and I’m very proud of him. It means a lot to win the race for a third time and being based here now, and it makes it a bit more special for some reason or other.

“Thank you to Mark and the team for preparing this horse in such magnificent order. He really did peak this afternoon, and the distance was a query, no doubt about it, but he came through with flying colours.

“He just gave me the sweetest ride throughout the entire trip. We were aided by a good draw, of course, but the horse won with authority and I’m so proud to have won my third BMW Hong Kong Derby.”

Denied a short head by Cap Ferrat with My Wish in last season’s BMW Hong Kong Derby, Newnham was ecstatic after experiencing a wildly contrasting experience to 2025.

“The complete opposite to last year, that’s for sure. It was just a really smooth race to watch. If I could have picked a position prior to the race, it would have been midfield one off in a consistent speed and Hugh got into that position early,” Newnham said.

“At the corner it was just going to be ‘Is he good enough?’ And probably a furlong (200m) into the straight, I was pretty confident he was going to be strong late.”

Newnham will now consider a FWD Champions Day start for Invincible Ibis in either the HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) or the HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) on 26 April.

“We’ll be looking at that (FWD Champions Day) as long as his recovery’s good from today,” Newnham said. “But I’m probably more inclined to run him in the Mile. I just don’t think taking on Romantic Warrior and a few of the internationals at 2000m, I don’t think he’s seasoned enough for that yet, despite his win today and the time he’s run.

“He’s beating horses of his own age group, so I don’t think we need to throw him to the wolves just yet – horses can have a long career here, so there’s no need to be testing him too much beyond his limits.”

Frankie Lor, trainer of minor place-getters Numbers and Stormy Grove, said: “You can see the time was quick, so maybe if he (Numbers) had a better draw (than 13) he could have had an easier time earlier on and set his own pace. 

“He’s still run a very good race, and he kept rolling the whole way. (Stormy Grove) did a very quick time to finish the race, 22.71s, so he was only a little bit too far back. On another day, it could have been different.”

Little Paradise, who started 3.8 favourite, over-raced and finished ninth.

The undercard was dominated by exciting rising talent with four three-year-old geldings winning four of the first six races, with Too Darn Hot’s Hot Delight, Deep Field’s Mega Mastermind, Biouvac’s Absolute Heart and Ardrossan gelding Gold Patch prevailing.

Hot Delight (128lb) maintained a perfect record with a third successive win to give Francis Lui his 500th victory on Sha Tin turf with success in the Class 3 Werther Handicap (1200m) under Vincent Ho in 1m 08.19s – only marginally outside of Victor The Winner’s Class record mark of 1m 08.11s.

“He’s (Hot Delight) a nice horse, we know that. But he’s only three, so we want to excel as much as possible, but we also want to keep him for his four-year-old season, so it was a nice run,” Ho said.

Lui said: “Good horse, he’s a very good horse and honest. Even in trackwork he’s showed he’s improved.”

Lui also struck with Gold Patch (133lb) under Zac Purton in the Class 4 Sky Darci Handicap (1200m).

Jamie Richards and Brenton Avdulla combined with Mega Mastermind (125lb) to win the Class 4 Luger Handicap (1600m) before Absolute Heart (127lb) landed the Class 4 Ping Hai Star Handicap (1200m) for Cody Mo and Derek Leung.

Circuit Champion (120lb), purchased at the 2024 Hong Kong International Sale for HK$5.4 million, showcased his talent with a last-to-first success in the Class 3 Furore Handicap (1200m) for Danny Shum to improve his record to two wins and a second from three starts.

Slowly away, the Starspangledbanner gelding finished powerfully under Keith Yeung, clocking 21.81s for the final 400m to justify the patience of his connections with the five-year-old, who has overcome cannon bone, humeral bone and pelvis issues as well as a fever before making a belated debut.

Pierre Ng’s Aeroinvincible (135lb) continued Andrea Atzeni’s stunning March surge with victory in the Class 4 Fay Fay Handicap (1400m). Atzeni took his tally for the month to 12, a haul which includes two quartets.

Ng and Purton teamed with Aerovolanic (122lb) in the Class 3 Rapper Dragon Handicap (1400m) after David Hayes-trained Shamus Storm (116lb) clinched the Class 3 Designs On Rome Handicap (1800m) for Harry Bentley.

Tony Cruz’s Winning Ovation (113lb) clinched a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million by winning the Class 2 Golden Sixty Handicap (1400m) for Angus Chung.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (25 March).