Specialist earns crack at HK Derby

The Jockey Club answered the plea of leading trainer John Size to include Real Specialist as the last invitee to the race that every owner craves, the HK$16 million Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby on March 18, but it was still David Ferraris who was oozing confidence after the final field was announced yesterday.

Most expectations were met, with John Moore's powerful four-year-old team grabbing their expected six positions in the race with Zaidan, Dominant, Smart Giant, Same World, Dan Excel and Military Attack, as the trainer seeks a fourth Derby win to equal Brian Kan Ping-chee's record.

Moore may have the numbers but David Ferraris-trained Sweet Orange, the joint top-rated runner, remained the name on most lips as the nominal favourite and the South African was feeling positive.

'He won the Classic Mile and was unlucky in the Classic Cup - from what I've seen, I have to be confident,' said Ferraris, the 2005 Derby winner with Vengeance Of Rain. He will also send out Liberator in this year's Group One.

Executive director of racing Bill Nader said the Derby had a history dating back to 1873, but has 'blossomed to the point where our HK$16 million in prize money eclipses that of both the Epsom Derby in England and the Kentucky Derby in the United States and attracts high international interest.

'It's a charismatic race and a launch pad to greatness as we saw 12 months ago when Ambitious Dragon beat Xtension. Both have subsequently won international Group One events.'