David Hayes may make Champions Mile a family affair with beaten Hong Kong Derby favourite Rubylot
Sent off a warm $2.9 favourite for Sunday's feature, Rubylot travelled one off the rail just forward of midfield before hitting the line solidly enough for fifth under Brenton Avdulla, a length and three-quarters behind the victorious Cap Ferrat.
'It was an OK run,' said Hayes. 'He had Noisy Boy lay on him the whole way. He bumped into him several times and he just didn't get into his normal, relaxed rhythm.
'Avdulla surprised me by saying that he thought if he didn't get that he would have gone very close.'
HISTORY AT SHA TIN! 👏👏@CWilliamsJockey wins the 148th @BMW Hong Kong Derby aboard Cap Ferrat for trainer Francis Lui over a fast-closing My Wish... #4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/OHHfz0JKlE — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025
Rubylot holds entries for the Champions Mile and the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) on April 27's Champions Day, with Hayes mulling his options for his Classic Cup (1,800m) victor.
Nine-time Group One winner Mr Brightside, who is expected to fly to Hong Kong on April 14, and leading local miler Voyage Bubble will await Rubylot should Hayes opt to run him at 1,600m.
'I think we'll head towards Champions Day. I'll just see how he is in the next week. I'll study what the races are going to come up like – whether I go the mile or the 2,000m is up in the air,' said Hayes, who is itching to see Mr Brightside finally make it to Hong Kong after a couple of false starts.
'Mr Brightside is booked and it'll be great to have him up here. It looks a nice race for him.'
Hayes looks to have a mortgage on the third Champions Day feature, the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m), with gun sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
Perfect tune-up for Ka Ying Rising! 😏
The world's best sprinter is first across the line this morning at Sha Tin in his trial ahead of the likes of Sword Point, Helios Express and co. 🔥@zpurton | #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/rqEvtLDNgS — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 21, 2025
Widely considered the best sprinter in the world, Ka Ying Rising tuned up for this Sunday's Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) with a trial victory last Friday.
'His trial was really good – he went around untested,' Hayes said of his three-time Group One winner. 'He will do some work Wednesday and all is looking good.'
Zac Purton was aboard Ka Ying Rising for last week's trial and will return from injury to partner the four-year-old in this weekend's Sprint Cup, before turning his attention to feature success in Australia after picking up the ride aboard the Chris Waller-trained Moira for the Group One Doncaster Mile at Randwick in Sydney on April 5.
While Purton will miss Wednesday night's all-dirt fixture at Sha Tin, Hayes will saddle up seven runners and he likes the chances of Solid Shalaa, who races for the first time since April last year in the Class Four Kestrel Handicap (1,200m).
'I think Solid Shalaa should go pretty close first up. He looks ready to win,' said Hayes. 'He's been off the scene a long time but he seems to have come back very well.
'He hurt his leg coming back from a tendon tear, but he's trialled very well.'
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