Punters Look For Airbags In BMW Derby Knockout
Against all odds, Voyage Bubble trainer Ricky Yiu handed one of his biggest wins and jockey Alexis Badel the perfect finale to a challenging week with an incredible triumph in the HK$24 million BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Starting at 45/1 and from the outer barrier of 14, Voyage Bubble became the most expensive winner of the classic since Ivan Allan’s Holy Grail triumphed at 98/1 in 1999 after a bold ride from Badel who lost the ride to star sprinter Wellington The other highlight of the day is the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
ALexis Badel brings Voyage Bubble (outside) home in a thriller (Image – HKJC)
Despite winning the first leg of the four-year-old Classic Series – the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on January 29 – Voyage Bubble has been largely shunned in derby discussions after trailing behind Super Sunny Sing in the traditional derby heat finished sixth. the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on February 26th.
Undaunted, Badel became the first French jockey to win the BMW Hong Kong Derby since Maxime Guyon in 2011, with a nerveless and tactically brave performance by Deep Field’s son bravely giving veteran handler Yiu first success in Hong Kong’s most valuable race.
Badel held off Voyage Bubble to the last and flopped against the fence. He waited until the long backstretch to improve his position and immediately moved outside of race favorite Beauty Eternal on the home corner before hitting the front in the shadow of the post and repelling Tuchel with a short head. Beauty Eternal was third, another short head away.
The total time of the race, which highlights the pedestrian pace, was 2:02.78 minutes, the slowest time since rapper Dragon clocked 2:02.88 minutes in 2017.
Badel, 33, was expectedly delighted after the race as he balanced disappointment at losing the ride on Wellington to Ryan Moore and being offered his first mount on the Voyage Bubble in the Derby.
Yiu and Badel celebrate (Image – HKJC)
“It’s not over until it’s over, which is great. It’s a good example that you have to recover, you have to keep going. I am grateful to Ricky and Connections for calling me about this horse. He is obviously a very talented horse.
“Everyone thought the gate was bad but it was probably the reason I won the race because I had to come back. We had to change our plan and the pace wasn’t very fast and I let my horse relax early and I saved ground and then I didn’t hesitate to improve a bit on the backstretch. The horse was tough, he has a great heart and he really showed quality on the straight.
“He was brilliant and I’m really happy for the connections, the owners and myself. Actually I still can’t believe it. It’s like the race isn’t over yet. It’s very special.
“As a jockey you go through ups and downs and this season has been very difficult for me. I’ve come back from injuries and suspensions and it means everything to win such a big race in Hong Kong as a jockey.
“All you’re really looking for is Group 1, the big races and the (BMW) Hong Kong Derby is just history so I’m very grateful to Ricky, his stable and all the connections – the people who have supported me through that horse and I am very, very happy. I feel blessed that I was able to perform so well today and the horse was great.”
Yiu, Hong Kong Champion Trainer 2019/20, is better known for his collaborations with standout sprinters like Sacred Kingdom and Fairy King Prawn, and in seven previous Derby attempts his best result to date was a seventh with Outdoor Pegasus in 2011.
At 65, Yiu has a chance to extend his career beyond the usual retirement age provided he meets certain performance criteria, and with a doubles today, he is second in this year’s championship with 41 wins behind 11-time champion John Size (46).
“Obviously this is the most prestigious race in Hong Kong and I am very, very happy and grateful to have won this derby race,” beamed Yiu, admitting he had doubts about endurance because of the voyage bubble.
Coach Ricky Yiu rides in one of the sponsor’s best (Image – HKJC)
“I was a bit skeptical on the 2,000-meter ride, then again with the long-distance train. We had to try something different. We even looked at previous Derby races, horses drawn from the outside and where they finished and where they made a move,” he said.
“We just stuck to the plan. He had to be relaxed in the first turn, as relaxed as possible, and slowly and gradually stretch the run from behind. Alexis did a very good job, great job.
“Over the 2000m we tried something different and he (Voyage Bubble) still managed to put in a performance. He’s an incredible horse. This horse is very versatile, over the mile or 2000m. Obviously he has a big heart.
Hong Kong racing resumes on Wednesday 22nd March at Happy Valley.
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