There was a quiet confidence about Vincent Ho as he eased Little Paradise through his paces at Sha Tin Racecourse on Tuesday morning, the pair sharpening up for Sunday’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m). The Hong Kong Classic Cup, second leg of the prestigious Four-Year-Old Classic Series, now looms as the next stage in what could yet become a rare sweep of the division’s crown jewels.
Under subdued skies, Little Paradise stretched out smoothly, clocking 52.7 seconds (28.3, 24.4) in company with stablemate Perfecto Moments. Ho stepped off with a smile.
“I’m happy with him – he felt good,” the rider said. “He’s ready and I am ready – we’re looking forward to it.”
The gelding’s preparation has been faultless since his commanding display in the Hong Kong Classic Mile on 1 February, where he overcame interference in the straight before quickening decisively to score by two lengths. That victory marked the biggest triumph of Jimmy Ting’s training career and confirmed Little Paradise as the leading light of this year’s crop.
Sunday’s contest forms part of a glittering double-header at Sha Tin alongside the Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m). For Little Paradise, however, the focus is firmly on extending his Classic Series momentum.
Hong Kong Classic Cup: Second Step Towards Derby Glory
The Hong Kong Classic Cup sits between the Classic Mile and the season’s ultimate test, the 149th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March. Success on Sunday would place Little Paradise on the brink of joining Rapper Dragon (2017) and Golden Sixty (2020) as the only horses to sweep all three legs.
Ho, who guided Golden Sixty to Classic Cup success in 2020 and struck again aboard Super Sunny Sing in 2023, is confident the additional furlong will hold no fears.
“Even 2000 metres is no problem,” he said. “He’s so gentle in the mornings – he’s not a problem at all.”
With six wins from nine starts, Little Paradise has already shown a blend of tactical speed and composure beyond his years. The manner in which he settled before quickening in the Mile suggested a colt still learning, yet already formidable.
Elsewhere at Sha Tin on Tuesday, Caspar Fownes was in buoyant mood following confirmation that Joao Moreira will return to Hong Kong as his stable rider from early April. The four-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey, responsible for 1,235 local winners, famously partnered Fownes to Derby glory aboard Sky Darci in 2021.
“It’s something I’m very happy that’s going to happen,” Fownes said. “It’s going to be great for Hong Kong racing to have him back in action here. Hopefully we can have some fun together – that’s most important – and win lots of races.”
Fownes, who leads the trainers’ championship with 36 wins, saddles seven runners at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, including progressive three-year-old Love Together in the second section of the Class 3 Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1200m).
“All of his runs have been at 1000 metres and he’s performed well for a horse in his first season,” Fownes noted. “He’s drawn awkwardly, so we’ll look at the speed map. The horse is in good condition and should be competitive.”
For now, though, attention centres on Little Paradise and whether Sunday’s Hong Kong Classic Cup can propel him one step closer to Derby immortality.
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