The Road to the Derby has a habit of revealing its most intriguing stories away from the spotlight, and Chris So’s progressive four-year-old Top Dragon is shaping as one of those runners quietly building momentum at the right time. With the first major target of the season looming, his upward curve has not gone unnoticed within Hong Kong’s racing circles.
With less than three weeks remaining until the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 1 February — the opening leg of the 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series — and the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) set for 22 March, Top Dragon is beginning to look a horse peaking into his four-year-old campaign at precisely the right moment on the Road to the Derby.
The gelding’s journey to this point has been a steady, well-managed one. Originally knocked down for A$80,000 at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale Showcase Session, he later doubled that valuation when Upper Bloodstock and Australian trainer Mick Price secured him for A$160,000 at the 2023 Inglis Ready2Race Sale on behalf of Vincent To, Kenneth To and Ronald To.
Top Dragon took time to find his feet in Hong Kong, needing five starts to break through, but once he did, the improvement was evident. His debut season closed with two wins and two seconds from seven appearances, a foundation that has translated into greater consistency this term. During the current season, he has yet to miss a placing from four runs, including a determined victory in a Class 3 1400m contest at Sha Tin in October.
Road to the Derby: Encouraging Signs at a Mile
It was Top Dragon’s most recent outing on 4 January that perhaps told the clearest story of his potential. Asked to step up to 1600m and face Class 2 company for the first time, the four-year-old endured an awkward passage yet still finished just two lengths behind the accomplished Sagacious Life.
Trainer Chris So was quietly encouraged by what he saw.
“Last week we put him over the mile and he ran well but just had no luck, so it seems like he handles the distance,” So said. “He hit the line strong and distance-wise I think he will handle 1600m in the four-year-old series this year.”
That race was run at a genuine tempo through the opening 1200m, allowing Top Dragon, carrying a light weight, to close strongly from near the rear of the field. While Sagacious Life, already a Group 1 Derby Paulista winner over 2400m, pushed his rating up to 97, Top Dragon remained on 81 — a figure that places him right on the edge of Classic Mile qualification.
Despite sitting on the borderline, circumstances may work in his favour. Several higher-rated four-year-olds ahead of him are either sidelined or better suited to sprinting trips, leaving the door open for Top Dragon to secure one of the 14 coveted starting positions.
“With his 81 rating I think he’s got a good chance to get in but he’s not 100 per cent guaranteed. I hope he gets in,” So said, confirming that the gelding will head straight to the Classic Mile with a trial beforehand and no further race starts.
So knows what it takes to navigate this series, having already lifted the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) in 2023 with Super Sunny Sing. While pedigree discussions often surround the Derby build-up, the trainer remains focused on the individual.
“I’m not worried about the breeding. In Hong Kong the most important thing is the horse’s ability and temperament rather than their pedigree,” he said of the Pierata gelding, out of Testa Rossa mare Mica Lil.
“Maybe in future he can go further but I don’t know at this stage. Let’s see how he runs in the Classic Mile and then we will decide. It does seem like he will handle further distance because of the way he runs and his good temperament.”
Elsewhere on the Road to the Derby, leading contenders continued to strengthen their credentials over the weekend. Little Paradise claimed his first Class 2 success in the Racing Club Cup (1400m), while Invincible Ibis maintained his perfect streak this season with a fourth consecutive win in the Pak Shek Au Handicap (1600m). Infinite Resolve and Beauty Bolt also emerged with creditable second-place finishes.
The coming days will see further four-year-old talent on display, with Anode, Crimson Flash, Regal Gem and Symbol Of Strength engaged at Happy Valley on Wednesday, followed by Juneau Pride, Glittering Legend, Patch Of Cosmo and Pope Cody at Sha Tin on Sunday. As the Road to the Derby narrows, Top Dragon remains one of the quieter names edging closer to the centre of the conversation.
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