Latest news with #NoisyBoy
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Noisy Boy out to enhance Hong Kong Derby form in big day for four-year-old crop at Sha Tin
Noisy Boy (outside) gets up for a Class Two success under Andrea Atzeni. Photos: Kenneth Chan More than a quarter of this year's Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) field line up this Sunday Noisy Boy is out to enhance March's Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) form and bounce back to his best in the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Dennis Yip Chor-hong's four-year-old failed to beat a rival in March's Derby, unable to follow up impressive wins in a Class Three over 2,200m and a 2,000m Class Two – both at Sha Tin. The form of his Class Two victory has been well advertised, cosily beating the likes of Winning Dragon, Stunning Peach, Packing Angel, Mickley and Bravehearts. Noisy Boy reopposes Winning Dragon and Bravehearts in the HK$4.2 million feature and will hope to show something like his best as he looks to become another four-year-old to show he can be a force next campaign. He will also take on Bundle Award, who was seventh in the Derby after making up plenty of late ground and will make plenty of appeal to punters with Zac Purton up for the first time. Completing the field are Winning Dragon's Tony Cruz-trained stablemates Five G Patch and La City Blanche as they prepare for the Group One Champions & Chater (2,400m) later this month. The Derby form was heavily scrutinised on last Sunday's Champions Day, with the winner Cap Ferrat running a big race when fifth in the Group One QE II Cup (2,200m) behind the likes of Japanese superstars Tastiera and Prognosis. Rubylot, who finished a running-on fifth in the Derby, also ran with huge amounts of credit to fill out sixth in the same race. 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 — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025 Perhaps the best performance from a Derby runner came from My Wish in the Group One Champions Mile, who ran on gamely to finish fourth behind Red Lion, Voyage Bubble and Sunlight Power. Mark Newnham's rising star will not be seen again this season but will be targeted at both December's Group One Hong Kong Mile in December and the Champions Mile once again. Mickley and Steps Ahead will also bid to step forward from their Derby runs this Sunday as they drop back in distance for the Class Two Hillwood Handicap (1,600m). Steps Ahead only had My Wish behind him in the run in the Derby and he did not have the best of passages when trying to burrow up the rail. Despite that, he only finished half a length behind Mickley and trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai will be hopeful those placings can be reversed. A winner at Royal Ascot when trained by Edward Bethell in the UK, Mickley had a good midfield trip in the Derby but lacked a finishing kick in a race that was run at a bit of a crawl. Trainer John Size has called up Purton for the ride and it could be another big day for the Aussie, who rides in 10 of the 11 races and also has the plum ride on Bundle Award in the feature. Currently on 102 winners for the season, he is a whopping 46 ahead of the second-placed Hugh Bowman in the standings.
South China Morning Post
14-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Christophe Soumillon to ride Noisy Boy in Hong Kong Derby – if he gets his new passport in time
Dennis Yip Chor-hong is hoping Christophe Soumillon can iron out some passport issues in time to ride Noisy Boy in next Sunday's BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) at Sha Tin. Soumillon, who won the 2006 Derby aboard Viva Pataca, rode Fast Network for Yip in January's Classic Mile and the duo will combine again provided the Belgian can travel. 'He needs to do some immigration first – he lost his passport. He's checking, but if he can come he will ride Noisy Boy. His agent said he can come,' said Yip. Noisy Boy was ridden by Andrea Atzeni in the Classic Cup (1,800m), travelling far too quick in the lead before fading into 13th. Yip is chasing a second straight Derby victory after the win of Massive Sovereign 12 months ago, while John Size saddles up three runners as he looks to add to victories of Fay Fay (2012), Luger (2015) and Ping Hai Star (2018) in the city's most prestigious race. The 12-time champion trainer tackles the Derby with Mickley and last-start winners Bundle Award and Beauty Alliance. 'Two of them posted very impressive wins at their last start, so it's a very exciting race for us,' he said. '[Mickley has] done well. He's had a bit of tough racing and he's come through it OK. His last start was disappointing but things didn't go his way in the run. Bundle Award punches his 2025 @BMW Hong Kong Derby ticket! 🔥@BenThompson2102 gets John Size's galloper home from the back of the field for a first Class 2 win at Sha Tin... #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 9, 2025 'Since then he's had a little bit of an ease up, I've changed his routine and he's gone up to Conghua for a freshen up. '[Bundle Award] was ridden back in the field and allowed to finish the race off the other day. He adapted to that very well and he gets into the race with a live chance. '[Beauty Alliance's] improvement has been massive since the beginning of the season. He's one of those horses who has run into form at the right time and that can be extremely important on the day. 'He's one of the horses who does extremely well and he's always been very tough. He probably just needed some racing and a bit of distance to show up.'
South China Morning Post
01-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Dennis Yip backs in-form Noisy Boy to prove Hong Kong Derby credentials in Classic Cup
Daring to dream of a second straight Derby victory, Dennis Yip Chor-hong is confident Noisy Boy will stamp his credentials for the city's biggest race when he steps out in Sunday's Classic Cup (1,800m) at Sha Tin. Yip was on top of the world 12 months ago when celebrating Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) glory with Massive Sovereign and he feels Noisy Boy is capable of following in that galloper's footsteps. The Australian import has made an impressive start to his Hong Kong career, notching back-to-back wins over 2,200m at Happy Valley and the Derby course and distance leading into the Classic Cup. 'He's working very well. He trialled [at Happy Valley] and it was very good,' Yip said of Noisy Boy's strong victory in a 1,700m trial on February 15. 'He is coming up very nicely. The 1,800m should be OK. Hopefully he can sit second or third and he's proven at 2,000m and 2,200m, while many four-year-olds aren't proven. I think he's a good chance.' After a pair of solid runs over 1,400m and 1,650m, Noisy Boy thrived stepping up in trip to comfortably score at the Valley on Boxing Day under Zac Purton. The son of Real Steel then accounted for a Class Two field featuring the likes of subsequent Group Three runner-up Winning Dragon and Classic Cup contenders Mickley and Stunning Peach. Andrea Atzeni booted Noisy Boy home last start and has committed to riding him in the final two legs of the Classic Series. Racing under the same name in Australia, he won a 1,550m maiden on Randwick's Kensington track and also ran a close second in the Group Two Tulloch Stakes (2,000m) at Rosehill. Despite drawing wide in gate 12, Noisy Boy is expected to be one of the pace influences in the Classic Cup along with Californiatotality, who also jumps from a wide barrier in 14. Californiatotality has leapt into Classic Cup and Derby contention with three wins this term – two of which have been at the course and distance of Sunday's feature. Tony Cruz will bid to win a third Classic Cup when he starts Californiatotality and Stunning Peach, who has shown indifferent form this campaign but gets the services of superstar jockey James McDonald for the first time. Nice win, @brentonavdulla! 👊 Californiatotality, a son of Zoustar, offsets top-weight and a wide gate to capture a third victory. Tony Cruz makes it a double from the first three races at Sha Tin... ✌️ #SaSaLPDay | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) November 3, 2024 'I think my two horses have got a chance. I'm very happy with them condition wise and they're in good health,' Cruz said. 'Californiatotality is a one-paced type of horse. Stunning Peach probably needs 2,000m and above. He's a real staying type of horse. He's the spitting image of Exultant – that horse had no speed at all. In his barrier trials, he was always last.' Alexis Badel will ride Californiatotality. Elsewhere on Sunday's card, Cruz's former apprentice Angus Chung Yik-lai returns from a fractured facial bone sustained in a horrific fall on February 5. Chung will ride He was You, Smart Beauty and Lovero for Cruz as well as Silver King and Wonderstar. Yip has another top chance on the card in Fast Network, who drops back in distance from the Classic Mile to contest the Class Three Yau Oi Handicap (1,200m). Fast Network ran a solid fourth to My Wish in the Classic Mile when ridden by Christophe Soumillon. 'Class Three is easier for him and he's a sprinter,' Yip said of the three-time Sha Tin 1,000m winner. 'The maximum for him was a mile and I think 1,200m or 1,400m is the best distance for him. Soumillon told me the mile is his maximum.' McDonald will also ride Fast Network, who has the blinkers reapplied for Sunday's race and has drawn barrier 10 of 11.
