FURORE won the HK$18 million BMW Hong Kong Derby over 10 furlongs at Sha Tin last Sunday with a brilliant victory that fulfilled Frankie Lor’s dream of becoming the first “home grown” Hong Kong trainer to land the race for 11 years.

“I can’t express my feelings,” the handler said, after claiming Hong Kong’s most prestigious local prize in only his second season with a trainers’ licence.

“To have one horse to even run in the Derby – now I’ve won the Derby, so it’s a dream come true!” he said.

Lor, 53, whose father was a mafoo, grew up in Happy Valley and has for 36 years advanced through the Hong Kong Jockey Club system as jockey, assistant and now trainer.

Tony Cruz was the last “local” trainer to win the race. He achieved that victory with Helene Mascot and Lor’s Furore emulated that horse in winning the Derby after first claiming the opening leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, but failing in the Hong Kong Classic Cup between times.

Lor has made a rapid advance to the top tier of Hong Kong’s training ranks, and saddled three of the four top-rated runners.

ASTUTE RIDE

His Derby breakthrough came in no small part as a result of an astute ride from one of the world’s great exponents of jockeyship.

Hugh Bowman charted Furore’s path from a wide starting point in stall 12; rolling his mount forward and slotting neatly into a handy berth one spot off the rail, all before the field of 14 had made it through the first turn.

“Although Furore drew poorly, I was confident he could do the job if I could get him in the right position,” the Australian ace said.

“I had the stablemate (Mission Tycoon), the likely leader, drawn next to me (11); I thought I could at least go with him to start with and see where we end up. I was able to get a lovely run three pairs back.”

That proved to be the perfect position for the Group 1-placed Australian import off a pedestrian pace which seemed to foil the chances of favourite Waikuku, taken back from stall 14 to sit second last under Joao Moreira.

He was fully 11 lengths off the lead down the back straight and when Moreira asked for progress approaching the three-furlong marker, the Irish import was slow to respond.

MAIN DANGER

“I was pleased when Zac pressed on with Dark Dream,” Bowman said. “It just gave me the option to get on his back, and he was one of the main dangers. He gave me a dream cart into the race and my horse was able to get the job done.”

Bowman slipstreamed Purton into the home straight, shifted out, and, with a furlong and a half to race, asked for a change of gear.

Furore quickened to the lead as the two front-runners wilted and Dark Dream boxed one-paced. He galloped on strongly, stopping the clock at 2m 01.30s. It was Bowman’s second Hong Kong Derby triumph, three years after he partnered Werther.

Waikuku produced a crowd-raising late challenge. The Harbour Watch gelding came to life on the turn for home as he discovered a rhythm, entering the straight with momentum flowing but a steep task to surmount.

The Size-trained galloper charged the final two furlongs in a race fastest sectional of 22.33s.

“An amazing run,” Moreira said. “He has been beaten by a very good horse who delivered his very best race today.”

Waikuku had a late scare with a sore foot last Sunday. “My horse, as we all know, had some little issues eight days ago and the way he ran today to overcome that, we should be very proud of his performance.

“He’s a horse I have a lot of faith in and I can’t wait to ride him next time,” the Brazilian added.

The John Moore-trained Sunny Speed (raced for the Rooneys in UK as Crack On Crack On) also closed off strongly, missing second by a short-head at odds of 86/1. The British import has made remarkable progress since stepping off the plane as recently as November on only his third Hong Kong race.

“He got a lovely run through,” jockey Neil Callan said. “When I loomed up 250 metres out I thought he was going to run past the winner. Coming in off just two runs like that it was a massive run. In that context, he’s got a big future.”

Lor will now point Furore towards Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 28th with the QEII Cup at the course and distance the likely option, although the handler is going to cover his bases.