Mark Newnham left to rue what might have been with ‘brave' Hong Kong Derby runner-up My Wish

South China Morning Post

23-03-2025

My Wish (right) falls narrowly short of Cap Ferrat (left) in Sunday's Hong Kong Derby (2,000m). Photos: Kenneth Chan
Mark Newnham was left to rue what might have been after he and jockey Luke Ferraris went within a short head of orchestrating a brilliant BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) victory with My Wish at Sha Tin on Sunday.
After being lumped with the outside gate of 14, Newnham and Ferraris hatched a plan to take second favourite My Wish – who has done most of his racing on or near the speed – back to last.
In a race run at a crawl from the 1,600m to the 800m before they rattled home, Ferraris unleashed My Wish in the home straight but the Classic Mile winner fell just short of winner Cap Ferrat despite steaming home with a final 400m of 21.39 seconds.
'Very brave. He's been the best four-year-old through the series,' said Newnham after My Wish added a Derby second to his runner-up finish in the Classic Cup (1,800m) earlier this month.
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
'On Thursday, we probably knew our fate but to run so close, it's disappointing. We came up with a plan of where to ride him and how to ride him. All that went to script except we got beaten a short head.
'We needed to do something from gate 14. It was no good going out there just hoping to get a spot. I thought our best chance was just to get him to relax, conserve energy and use his sprint.
'He did all those things and Luke did all the right things, we just didn't quite win.
'The winner – gate two, third on the fence, didn't come round a horse. That's the way it fell today but in the future we've got a very good horse.'
My Wish holds an entry for the Group One Champions Mile at the end of next month, but Newnham isn't yet sure where his stable star will head next.
'He's a very good horse, there's no doubt about that. In all his starts, he's never run badly,' said the Australian handler.
'He's missed a place once and that was his first start at 1,000m. I think there's still improvement to come in him next year, so there's a very good future for him.
'He didn't quite get the job done today but I'm sure his turn will come.'
Moreira bags brace
While a third Derby victory narrowly eluded him, Joao Moreira had a fruitful afternoon at Sha Tin all the same, landing a double with victories aboard Packing Hermod and Master Trillion.
Moreira may have thought he was poised to add to his Derby victories aboard Rapper Dragon (2017) and Sky Darci (2021) when Packing Angel travelled strongly into the race from midfield, but the Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained galloper couldn't quite go on with it and had to settle for a neck third.
'He ran terrific. He travelled a little bit strong – if he relaxed a little bit more the result could have been different, but that was a huge run,' said Moreira.
It was a different story for stablemate Packing Hermod, who stepped back in trip for the Class Two Rapper Dragon Handicap (1,400m) after running in the first two legs of the Classic Series.
Packing Hermod equals the 1400m Sha Tin track record with a slick 1m 19.92s! Joao Moreira does the riding for Francis Lui at Sha Tin... 🚀@cavaleiro83 | #4YOSeries | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/BOQkvkKC4d — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025
Sent off a $2.05 favourite, Packing Hermod closed strongly from a midfield position to defeat Young Champion by three-quarters of a length and stay perfect in two runs under Moreira.
On a day featuring quick times across the card, Packing Hermod stopped the clock in 1:19.92 to equal Encouraging's 1,400m Sha Tin track record.
Moreira was one of three big-name jockeys to jet into Hong Kong and bag a brace, with Craig Williams successful aboard Cap Ferrat in the Derby and Endeared, while Ryan Moore saluted aboard Super Express and Invincible Shield.
The victory of debutant Super Express in the Class Four Luger Handicap (1,400m) was the first of a double for John Size, who also delivered with Endeared.
Fownes and Hamelin break through
Trainer Caspar Fownes and French jockey Antoine Hamelin teamed up for their first winner at their 35th attempt as Sky Deep broke his maiden at start six in the Class Four Sky Darci Handicap (1,400m).
After consecutive seconds, including last start under Hamelin when he lost his way in the straight and hit the running rail, Sky Deep fended off Harold Win late to grab an overdue success.
Three wins from his last nine rides! 🙌
An in-form @AntoineHamelin gets Sky Deep home in the Sky Darci Handicap - a contest named in honour of the 2021 @BMW Hong Kong Derby hero, who also raced for the Kwan family... 💛💚#4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/vXUBZfvi6S — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025
'You've got to give people a chance. It's hard in Hong Kong, but he's done nothing wrong on this horse,' Fownes said of Hamelin, who has ridden three winners from his last nine rides to move to five victories for the season.
'The horse is quite immature and has his own mind a little bit. We're trying to teach him the right way.
'It's good for Antoine. It's his first winner for me and I think this horse has a chance to win again.
'I think next season this horse will be a different horse. He'll really understand what his job is and he could be quite nice.'