2016 Hong Kong Derby Final Field

A lucky boy named Lucky Girl was the only surprise when the BMW Hong Kong Derby field was officially released yesterday, although there was confirmation from Sun Jewellery’s trainer John Size that Ryan Moore will return to ride the leading chance on March 20.

Lucky Girl is actually an oddly named gelding trained by Dennis Yip Chor-hong that has just one win from six lifetime starts and, with a rating of 78, will be by far the lowest-rated runner of the 14 horses selected to contest the HK$18 million feature.

Lucky Girl is the lowest-rated horse to contest the Derby since Paul O’Sullivan’s Matiri King ran second-last in 2006, although connections might gain encouragement from the 82-rated Endorsing’s second to Akeed Mofeed in 2013.

Even though Lucky Girl seems hopelessly overmatched and is likely to start at long odds, it hasn’t stopped owners from planning to fly in Brazilian Silvestre de Sousa from England to ride the horse after he was on board for its only victory last month.

Michael Cox – http://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/ Lucky Girl was a private purchase for Pinhook Bloodstock, out of the Mick Mair stable, QLD. He finished a respectable 6th, beaten 5.0 lengths in the 2016 HK Derby. At the end of the 2015/16 season Lucky Girl’s record reads 11:2-3-1 $2,516,180.