In the 11th instalment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Road to the Derby series, Dazzling Fit continued his steady rise with a promising fifth-place finish in Sunday’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin. While Frankie Lor’s Stormy Grove dominated the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Dazzling Fit impressed trainer David Eustace, suggesting he is peaking at just the right time for the 149th BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March.
After missing out on the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 1 February, Dazzling Fit returned to the spotlight in the middle leg of the Classic Series, finishing three lengths behind Stormy Grove at 51/1 odds. Positioned prominently early and tracking three-wide forward of midfield, the son of Ribchester from Sapphire Lass held his ground in a fast-paced contest, staying on better than all but the leading finishers.
“I felt there was a lot of merit in the run. He’s not far off them and is still improving,” Eustace said. “It was a solid tempo, he found a rhythm despite being wide, and the 2000m should be no problem.”
Jockey Luke Ferraris echoed the trainer’s assessment. “It was a really good run. He didn’t have the natural speed to get there early, so I let him find a rhythm, and he finished strongly,” Ferraris said.
Purchased for NZ$115,000 at Karaka in 2023 by Tartan Meadow Bloodstock, Dazzling Fit now races for David and Liann Ho. The gelding’s Classic Cup effort earned him four ratings points, leaving him on a mark of 80 with three wins and three placings from 11 career starts.
Eustace confirmed Dazzling Fit has earned his place in the Hong Kong Derby, describing the gelding as being “pretty spot on” for the 2000m feature and “still on that upward trajectory.” He is one of three Eustace-trained runners with entries for the Derby. Glittering Legend is unlikely to feature after a Class 3 mile run this weekend, while Seraph Gabriel remains a hopeful despite a disappointing last-start 12th.
“With Seraph Gabriel, we’ve trained him for the race and hope he gets in,” Eustace said. “His last run was below expectations, but I think he may have been flat off the back of a solid mile. We’ll trial him next week and hope to get him back on track.”
The BMW Hong Kong Derby looms as the ultimate test for Dazzling Fit, and if Sunday’s performance is any indication, he will be among the contenders to watch as the city’s best four-year-olds line up over 2000 metres in a bid for glory.
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