Jockeys have said a lot of different things after winning classic races but the results of the 2025 Hong Kong Derby might have prompted a new one: “He’s never won a race, ever, until today.”
That was Craig Williams’ recap of the 25-1 upset he pulled off March 23 at Sha Tin Racecourse in the Hong Kong Derby aboard Cap Ferrat. The Snitzel gelding had gone winless in 13 starts in Australia and three more in Hong Kong before landing a ground-saving score in the Derby.
After Cap Ferrat finished 12th and ninth in the first two legs of the Derby Series—the Hong Kong Classic Mile and the Hong Kong Classic Cup at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles)—the astute local punters saw no reason to assess his chances as much better in the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) Derby.
The reversal of form took a perfect trip and a bit of help from an unfortunate draw by a chief rival.
Cap Ferrat started from the No. 2 gate and took a stalking position close up and right along the rail. He stayed there all the way to mid-stretch when Williams got him through inside pacesetter Lo Rider to take the lead with 200 meters to go.
He barely held on as My Wish, last well into the stretch, came with a rush outside his 13 rivals to miss by a nose. My Wish won the Classic Mile and reported second in the Classic Cup but his Derby chances took a hit when he was drawn No. 14 and suffered again when Lo Rider was allowed to lead the field in a leisurely gallop through most of the race.
Packing Angel finished third as Cap Ferrat stopped the timer at 2:00.67.
Jockey Craig Williams and trainer Francis Lui savor Cap Ferrat’s Hong Kong Derby victory
“He’s never won a race ever until today,” Williams said. “Full credit has got to go to (trainer) Francis Lui 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.’ I thought he was really gross, really full of himself.
“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 10-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.'”
Lui, who trained 2020 Derby winner and subsequent superstar Golden Sixty, said he’d kept faith with Cap Ferrat.
“I still feel very excited. The last two runs he 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 has a good draw, he was very lucky and Craig knows how to ride this horse. He did a good job.”
Lui didn’t outline any plans for Cap Ferrat. He has much to do to equal Golden Sixty, who entered the Derby with nine wins already to his credit, went on to win that year’s Jockey Club Mile (G2) and Hong Kong Mile (G1) as his record-breaking career was in high gear.
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