Size always matters in Hong Kong

Jim McGrath
J A McGrath

When Sydney trainer John Size arrived in Hong Kong a virtual unknown in 2001, few could have envisaged the impact he would make on racing in the Chinese Territory.

17 years later, Size has won the Champion trainer’s crown nine times — he is heading for a 10th title — and trained three winners of the Listed Hong Kong Derby, still the most coveted trophy on the local Turf.

His latest Derby winner, Ping Hai Star, who took Sunday’s edition of the Classic, will go down in local legend as one of the best seen in recent times.

In a strong renewal, Ping Hai Star found himself placed at the rear of the 14-runner field, in company with Exultant, the pair many lengths behind the early leader.

The race was essentially decided on the home bend when Zac Purton steered Exultant to the wide outside, while Ryan Moore, on Ping Hai Star, tried his luck on the inner, hoping for a gap that miraculously materialised.

Ping Hai Star did the rest by sprinting through the opening and running on strongly to beat Singapore Sling into second, with the strong-finishing Exultant a gallant third in the circumstances.

Ping Hai Star, a New Zealand-bred son of Nom De Jeu (Montjeu), had been registered as Ted in Australasia, so for once, the Hong Kong tradition of renaming imports on arrival in the Territory, was welcome indeed.

Hong Kong has for decades restricted its Derby to four-year-olds, and it is a recurring thought that perhaps the innovators who introduced this novel condition when the rest of the world deemed the Classic year to be for three-year-olds, may have been on to something.

So many three-year-olds, in both hemispheres, are still way off maturity when the Classics take place, constantly failing to meet their deadline. An extra year just might be to the advantage of the breed.