Aside from feature success at Shin Tin on Sunday trainer John Moore stamped an initial claim on the 2018 BMW Hong Kong Derby as Australian import Rocketeer scored his first Hong Kong win in the Class 2 Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council Silver Jubilee Cup Handicap (2000m) over the Derby course and distance.



 

Rocketeer is owned by Kevin Hung, whose father Albert owned this year’s Derby winner Rapper Dragon. It was this race meeting in 2016 that Rapper Dragon stamped himself as early Derby favourite with his easy success in the inaugural Lion Rock Trophy, and Moore suggested the family could dream of back-to-back victories in the four-year-old classic after Rocketeer’s two and a half length win under Douglas Whyte.

“It’s a change of luck for the Hung family, and they have another Derby prospect to look forward to next season,” said Moore. “This horse was my first Derby purchase for next season, we bought him after he ran in the Victoria Derby last November. He wasn’t my first choice, I was chasing Inference who went on to win the Randwick Guineas, but like many of them he wasn’t for sale. This horse was, and he always looked like he’d be better with six months under his belt, he was on the leg.”

Rocketeer had finished near the tail in his first two runs over a mile, but the switch to Happy Valley and the step up to 1800m last start saw him show a glimmer of form when sixth to Packing Dragon.

“I’ve been bringing him along very slowly, letting him find his legs and acclimatise,” Moore said. “He started to show a bit of form last start at Happy Valley, he was getting to the line and that told me that he was not far off. I didn’t do much with him going into this as he was a fit horse after the last race. He was focused, he was ready and he just outstayed them. From my point of view, though, he’s done what we wanted this season, to win one race at least. Now he can progress on to next season as one of our Derby contenders.”

Moore admitted he had confidence heading into Sunday’s Class 2, believing that it offered an easier test than many races in the same grade: “I expected him to do something like that, probably not win as easily as that but, with the exception of Dinozzo who disappointed, I didn’t hold the rest of them in that high esteem. He’ll progress on to another 2000m Class 2 next month where he will be up against some better horses, including Helene Charisma.”

Racing returns to Happy Valley on Wednesday night (7 June) for an eight-race card, with the opening contest scheduled for 7:15pm.