Coolmore graduate Cap Ferrat holds on for success in Hong Kong Derby thriller

Having sired his third Golden Slipper winner on Saturday courtesy of Marhoona's rousing success for breeder-owners Emirates Park, Arrowfield Stud's flagship stallion Snitzel was again making the headlines on Sunday as his son Cap Ferrat ran out a shock winner of Hong Kong's blue riband race, the Hong Kong Derby.

Beginning his career with Chris Waller in Australia, Cap Ferrat failed to win in 13 starts despite twice being placed at Group 1 level, running second behind recent All-Star Mile hero Tom Kitten in the 2023 Spring Champion Stakes and third behind subsequent Australian Derby winner Riff Rocket in the Rosehill Guineas in 2024.

In three Hong Kong starts prior to Sunday’s contest, the four-year-old gelding had run second in a 1600-metre Class 3 before then finishing down the field in both the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup, the first two legs of the HK$52 million (approx. A$11.07 million) Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

Craig Williams, who rode Cap Ferrat in the Hong Kong Classic Cup, was back aboard on Sunday and produced a brilliant rail-running ride aboard the Francis Lui-trained gelding as the pair kept on gallantly inside the closing stages of the HK$26 million (approx. A$5.33 million) Derby to beat the fast-finishing My Wish by a short-head.

Packing Angel ran a further head away in third as the winner crossed the line in a time of 2m 00.67s to break his maiden.

“He’s never won a race ever until today, full credit has got to go to Francis Lui [trainer] and his team and the owners of this horse for entrusting Francis with him because I rode him three weeks ago and I said ‘You have a lot of work to do’ [because] I thought he was really gross, really full of himself,” the winning rider said.

“It's certainly a special win. It's such a prestigious race in Hong Kong. Francis rang me, he was at the Sydney yearling sales and I was on the Gold Coast and he said 'Would you like to come ride Cap Ferrat?'. 

"I rode him when he was in Australia and I liked the horse. He had good ten-furlong form, he had two runs in Hong Kong - one was really good and one not so good - and I said 'I'd love to come over and ride him for you'.

“I rode him a few weeks ago and said 'if you get him right, Francis, we know he's got the right form and the capability', but it's clearly up to Francis and his stable. When he walked into the yard, the way he performed and he won, that's why Francis is such a great trainer. Full credit has got to go to Francis Lui, his team and obviously the horse.

“To win this great race, with my wife [Larysa] here for trainer Francis Lui who gave me such a great opportunity when I first started here, and of course being such a great race here in Hong Kong, it's very, very special.”

Hong Kong’s reigning champion trainer Lui, who ended the meeting with a treble, also had legendary Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty win the Hong Kong Derby in 2020 when the future star was completing a sweep of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

“I still feel very excited," Lui said. "The last two runs he [Cap Ferrat] had bad draws and bad luck. I checked his record and Craig rode this horse [in Australia], so he knew the horse. 

“Today, he also had a good draw [barrier two], he was very lucky and Craig knows how to ride this horse. He did a good job.”

Bred by Arrowfield, Cap Ferrat was purchased out of the stud's draft by Coolmore's Tom Magnier for A$1.4 million at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale before then being acquired by current owner Karen Lo in the middle of last year.

Cap Ferrat is the second winner from three foals to race out of the Listed-winning Bernardini mare C'est Beau La Vie, herself a half-sister to the stakes scorers Wonder Kid and Wales being out of the Group 3-winning mare Valkyrie Diva.

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