Hong Kong Derby
Hong Kong Derby
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | March 23, 2025 |
| Location: | Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong |
| Distance: | 2000m |
| Prize Money: | HK$26,000,000 |
The Hong Kong Derby is the third and final leg of the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Classic Series, following the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup.
Held in mid-March every year, the 2000m staying event is the premier race of the Hong Kong domestic racing programme.
The first Hong Kong Derby was open for all ages and was first held at Happy Valley in 1873, but the race has been restricted to four-year-olds since 1981.
In 1979 the race was permanently transferred to Sha Tin, where it has grown to become one of Asia’s most prestigious thoroughbred events outside of the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).
Only two horses have completed the Classic Series whitewash, with Rapper Dragon (2017) and Golden Sixty (2020) the only two to be Triple Crown winners.
2025 Hong Kong Derby odds
Betting markets for the 2025 Hong Kong Derby are currently unavailable.
Best bookmakers for Hong Kong Derby
All of HorseBetting’s recommended online bookmakers run markets for the Hong Kong Derby each year, including all-in and futures options. Check out the licensed betting sites below to find the best odds for the 2024 Hong Kong Derby.
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Latest Hong Kong Derby news
Hong Kong Derby history
As a set-weights contest, class rises to the top in the HK Derby. Some 12 of the last 23 favourites have won the race, while only two horses – Vital King ($11) and Sky Darci ($12) – have saluted at double-figure odds in that time.
Since 2000, when Keen Winner saluted from the inside lane, barrier one has not produced a single victor in the Hong Kong Derby.
Since the race became a 2000m staying event at Sha Tin, Massive Sovereign holds the race record, with the former European claiming the title in a time of 1:59.85.
Since 2000, only one filly has won the race: Elegant Fashion in 2003.
John Moore has managed to train the winner in the Hong Kong Derby on six seperate occasions, coming out on top in 1995, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Jockey-turned-trainer Tony Cruz has ridden the most winners in the HK Derby with four victories (1983, 1987, 1988, 1995). Cruz has also trained two winners in the race, with Lucky Owners (2004) and Helene Mascot (2008) saluting for the legendary horseman.
2025 Hong Kong Derby field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Hong Kong Derby final field is released.
Previous Hong Kong Derby fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Galaxy Patch Pierre Ng Blake Shinn 14 126lb 2 Helios Express John Size Hugh Bowman 13 126lb 3 Helene Feeling Danny Shum James McDonald 11 126lb 4 Chill Chibi Danny Shum Jerry Chau 3 126lb 5 Ensued John Size Ryan Moore 6 126lb 6 Chancheng Glory Francis Lui William Buick 9 126lb 7 Massive Sovereign Dennis Yip Zac Purton 10 126lb 8 Beauty Crescent Tony Cruz Alexis Badel 5 126lb 9 Speed Dragon Francis Lui Lyle Hewitson 7 126lb 10 Unbelievable Frankie Lor Harry Bentley 8 126lb 11 Ka Ying Generation Pierre Ng Andrea Atzeni 4 126lb 12 Elliptical Caspar Fownes Brenton Avdulla 2 126lb 13 Simple Hedge John Size Antoine Hamelin 6 126lb 14 Star Mac David Hayes Karis Teetan 1 126lb No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Keefy Frankie Lor Derek Leung 5 126lb 2 Beauty Eternal John Size Zac Purton 7 126lb 3 Super Sunny Sing Chris So Vincent Ho 9 126lb 4 Voyage Bubble Ricky Yiu Alexis Badel 14 126lb 5 Sword Point Frankie Lor Hugh Bowman 6 126lb 6 Tuchel John Size Ryan Moore 1 126lb 7 Beautyverse Tony Cruz James McDonald 11 126lb 8 Galaxy Witness Caspar Fownes Damian Lane 3 126lb 9 Sweet Encounter John Size Luke Currie 2 126lb 10 Atullibigeal David Hall Luke Ferraris 12 126lb 11 Flagship Warrior David Hayes Karis Teetan 13 126lb 12 Encountered Manfred Man Silvestre De Sousa 8 126lb 13 Straight Arron Caspar Fownes Blake Shinn 10 126lb 14 Bon’s A Pearla David Hayes Lyle Hewitson 4 122lb
2024 Hong Kong Derby result
1st – Massive Sovereign (+340)
2nd – Galaxy Patch (+160)
3rd – Ka Ying Generation (+685)
Previous Hong Kong Derby runnings
- Massive Sovereign completed an extraordinary rise to glory with a spectacular win in the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) under Zac Purton. Providing Yip with his first triumph in the Classic and Purton’s second after Luger in 2015, Massive Sovereign clocked the fastest time in Derby history – 1:59.85 – since the race distance was changed to 2000m in 2000, bettering champion Golden Sixty’s time of 2:00.15, set in 2020. In a thrilling finish, Massive Sovereign charged from the tail of the field to beat Galaxy Patch by a neck. Front-runner Ka Ya Generation was a neck further back in third place as all three place-getters broke two minutes on the good to firm surface in front of 60,976 spectators. Formerly known as Broadhurst when trained by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, Massive Sovereign was having only his second Hong Kong start after having secured a place in the Hong Kong Derby with a stunning debut win over today’s course and distance on March 3. Backed into $4.40 on the strength of that win, Massive Sovereign sat at the rear of the field before gradually edging closer while tracking Helios Express, who was bidding for a clean sweep of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series after snaring both the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m). While Helios Express finished eighth, Massive Sovereign emerged from a chasing pack to stymie Andrea Atzeni’s daring all-the-way bid on Ka Ying Generation – who threatened to defy his $40.00 odds after sweeping to a five-length lead at the 400m. Weaving into clear running, Massive Sovereign responded strongly under a desperate Purton with a final sectional of 22.58s to overhaul a courageous Ka Ying Generation, while also defying Galaxy Patch, who clocked 22.40s for the last 400m.
- Defying expectation, Voyage Bubble provided trainer Ricky Yiu with one of his greatest victories and jockey Alexis Badel with the perfect finale to a challenging week with an incredible triumph in the HK$24 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin. Starting at $46.00 and from the outside barrier of 14, Voyage Bubble became the Classic’s longest-priced winner since Ivan Allan’s Holy Grail triumphed at $183.00 in 1999 after an audacious ride by Badel, who lost the ride on star sprinter Wellington in the day’s other feature, the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m). Despite winning the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on January 29 – Voyage Bubble was largely shunned in Derby discussions after finishing sixth behind Super Sunny Sing in the traditional Derby lead-up, the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on February 26. Undaunted, Badel became the first French jockey to win the Hong Kong Derby since Maxime Guyon in 2011 with a nerveless and tactically bold display on the son of Deep Field, who bravely delivered veteran handler Yiu’s first success in the Hong Kong’s most prized race. Restraining Voyage Bubble to last and dropping to the fence, Badel waited until the long back straight to improve his position, moving immediately outside race favourite Beauty Eternal on the home turn before striking the front in the shadows of the post and fending off Tuchel by a short head. Beauty Eternal was third, a further short head away.
- Romantic Warrior has forged into Hong Kong Derby (2000m) history as the first triumphant graduate of the Hong Kong International Sale after crowning a meteoric rise by snaring the HKD$24 million Classic with dramatic victory over California Spangle at Sha Tin. Providing Shum with his first success in Hong Kong’s most coveted race after placings with Thumbs Up (second to Collection, 2009) and Playa Del Puente (runner-up to Golden Sixty in 2020), Romantic Warrior edged out California Spangle by a head after a desperate battle between the two highest-rated horses in the field. Money Catcher was third, 2.25 lengths away, in a slick 2:00.23.
- Having finished sixth and seventh respectively in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup, Sky Darci surprised many a punter when taking out the Hong Kong Derby. The Darci Brahma gelding was plucked from New Zealand as a PPG (Privately Purchased Griffin), joining the Fownes stable as a raw, unraced gelding in 2019. Less than two years later, he is part of Hong Kong racing folklore. In the end, only a head separated Sky Darci and a charging Russian Emperor – the son of super-sire Galileo and champion Australian mare Atlantic Jewel – as Panfield, a triple Group 1 winner in Chile, closed menacingly. Sky Darci’s win handed star trainer Casper Fownes his second win in the HK Derby.
- Golden Sixty became just the second horse to win all three legs of the four-year-old Classic Series, with the Francis Lui-trained runner arriving just in time in the Hong Kong Derby. Having been sent around as a $1.70 market elect, it was all but a forgone conclusion that he would walk away with the whitewash in convincing circumstances. However rank outsider Playa Del Puente made a race of it when making his run home at the 800m from the rear of the field and thus leaving Golden Sixty in a tricky position in the second-half of the field on the back of a muddling tempo. Needing to make up plenty of ground in the home straight, a final 400m split of 21.83s ensured Golden Sixty would fight out the finish and got the job done in enthralling circumstances.
- Furore added a Hong Kong Derby to his resume following a win in the first leg of the four-year-old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile following a peach of a ride from Hugh Bowman. The visiting Bowman brought up a second win in the race having won the event aboard Werther in 2016. Despite drawing wide in barrier 12, Bowman was able to find cover for Furore three pairs back and from that point, he was always going to be hard to beat. Furore quickened nicely under Bowman in the home straight and managed to hold out the fast-finishing Waikuku, with Furore turning the table on his rival who claimed the Hong Kong Classic Cup when they last met.
- A stunning last-to-first run saw the John Size-trained Ping Hai Star land the 2018 Hong Kong Derby and in the process handed champion hoop Ryan Moore his first win in the race. After anchoring at the tail of the 14-runner field, 11 lengths astern of the pace-setting The Golden Age, Ping Hai Star blitzed through the final 800m. Ping Hai Star went into the third and final leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series as an intriguing untapped talent. While his main rivals battled for honours in the first two legs, Size masterminded an assault on the series finale with three consecutive handicap wins at 1400m. No Derby winner before had headed into the race without a win at a distance of a mile or more.
- Having claimed the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup, Rapper dragon became the first runner to complete the four-year-old Classic Series whitewash when claiming the Hong Kong Derby. The win handed champion jockey Joao Moreira his first win in the race and also found his name in the history books having partnered the John Moore-trained runner to all three wins in the series. The son of Street Boss gave trainer John Moore his sixth Hong Kong Derby win and made it consecutive wins in the race for Moore having claimed the 2015 version with Werther.
Previous Hong Kong Derby winners
| Hong Kong DerbyPast Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Massive Sovereign | Zac Purton | Dennis Yip |
| 2023 | Voyage Bubble | Alexis Badel | Ricky Yiu |
| 2022 | Romantic Warrior | Karis Teetan | Danny Shum |
| 2021 | Sky Darci | Joao Moreira | Casper Fownes |
| 2020 | Golden Sixty | Vincent Ho | Francis Lui |
| 2019 | Furore | Hugh Bowman | Frankie Lor |
| 2018 | Ping Hai Star | Ryan Moore | John Size |
| 2017 | Rapper Dragon | Joao Moreira | John Moore |
| 2016 | Werther | Hugh Bowman | John Moore |
| 2015 | Luger | Zac Purton | John Size |
| 2014 | Designs On Rome | Tommy Berry | John Moore |
| 2013 | Akeed Mofeed | Douglas Whyte | Richard Gibson |
| 2012 | Fay Fay | Douglas Whyte | John Size |
| 2011 | Ambitious Dragon | Maxime Guyon | Anthony Millard |
| 2010 | Super Satin | Douglas Whyte | Casper Fownes |
| 2009 | Collection | Darren Beadman | John Moore |
| 2008 | Helene Mascot | Felix Coetzee | Tony Cruz |
| 2007 | Izzat | Brett Prebble | Paul O’Sullivan |
| 2006 | Viva Pataca | Christophe Soumillon | John Moore |
| 2005 | Vengeance Of Rain | Anthony Delpech | David Ferraris |
| 2004 | Lucky Owners | Felix Coetzee | Tony Cruz |
| 2003 | Elegant Fashion | Gerald Mosse | David Hayes |
| 2002 | Olympic Express | Weichong Marwing | Ivan Allan |
| 2001 | Industrial Pioneer | Gerald Mosse | Brian Kan Ping-Chee |
| 2000 | Keen Winner | Robbie Fradd | Anthony Millard |
Hong Kong Derby past winners (pre-2000)
| Hong Kong Derby Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Holy Grail | ||
| 1998 | Johan Cruyff | ||
| 1997 | Oriental Express | ||
| 1996 | Che Sara Sara | ||
| 1995 | Makarpura Star | ||
| 1994 | Super Fit | ||
| 1993 | Helene Star | ||
| 1992 | Sound Print | ||
| 1991 | River Verdon | ||
| 1990 | Reliable Source | ||
| 1989 | William’s Coach | ||
| 1988 | Clear City | ||
| 1987 | Tea For Two II | ||
| 1986 | Yuno When | ||
| 1985 | Superior Gold | ||
| 1984 | Baby Tiger | ||
| 1983 | Co-Tack | ||
| 1982 | Football | ||
| 1981 | Flash Of Gold | ||
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