Brave Kid decision may come to haunt Whyte
While champion jockey Douglas Whyte doesn't lie awake worrying that he has yet to win the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby, he probably has one crazy wish leading into tomorrow's $16 million classic.
If only he had a fairy godmother to wave a wand over the horses between which he had to choose his ride for this year, Super Satin and Brave Kid, so they could have been born a year apart.
'The Derby is once a year and you've got to find the right horse fairly early and then hope the campaign goes well - unfortunately this year I was lucky enough to have two of them,' said Whyte as he geared up for Super Satin. 'In any year, both Super Satin and Brave Kid would be a great ride, so having to choose was tough but I did have to choose. I'm happy with Super Satin. Going into any big race, having a preparation that has gone to plan is important. He's had that and I know he'll run the distance without blinking.'
Amongst Whyte's thousands of winners, he has yet to include the Derby, but his rides have included short course sprinters, a favourite in Bowman's Crossing who suffered a heart irregularity and, all in all, the Durban Demon is comfortable with the realities of his record.
'It doesn't play on my mind. When I think back over the rides I've had, I've done everything I could for them,' he explains. 'Many weren't stayers - I rode Cape Of Good Hope in it one year, a sprinter. Good Ba Ba, a miler.
'My best result was second to Lucky Owners on Tiber, and I remember giving him a great ride, but when you look back over his long career, he never won beyond a mile. Super Satin is as legitimate a Derby chance as I've ever had.'
Trainer Caspar Fownes believes Super Satin is better than he was when second in the Derby Trial and admits he has held plenty of confidence in the horse all season. 'Every time he's been asked to do something, he has stepped up,' Fownes said. 'He started the season on 64 and kept improving. Taking him to Happy Valley was probably the key to the Derby preparation - he took a chill pill and learned to relax and was so much better when he went back to the bigger track at Sha Tin as a result.'
Fownes too has yet to win the Derby, seconds with Hail The Storm and Jackpot Delight have been his highlights to date but he goes in four-handed tomorrow with what appear two real, live chances.
'Fair Trade has had problems with a tendon sheath injury and jumping from 1,400m to 2,000m second-up isn't how you would choose to do it, but he's unbeaten and he's fit enough,' he said. 'When he trialled the other day over 1,600m, I made sure it was a truly run trial to make sure he had a proper test. We had the option of running in the Gold Cup but that would have been just too tough on him at that stage.'
