Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Mr Incredible set for next year's Derby
Brett Crawford-trained 3-year-old gelding Mr Incredible (Toronado {ire}) will be aimed at next season’s 4-Year-Old Series consisting of the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile, Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup and the Listed BMW Hong Kong Derby. His victory on Saturday night took his record to three wins from four starts with earnings over HK$2.3 million (AU$425,000).
“I think he’s proven tonight that he’s going to be capable (in the 4-Year-Old Classic Series),” Crawford told hkjc.com.
Brett Crawford | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“There’s not many 3-year-olds that win in Class 3 like that, so he’s an exciting horse for next season and hopefully he’ll go further, which he definitely looks like he can.
“There’s not many 3-year-olds that win in Class 3 like that, so he’s (Mr Incredible) an exciting horse for next season and hopefully he’ll go further, which he definitely looks like he can.” - Brett Crawford
“I think today was a big test for him to go up to Class 3, so I was very pleased the way he handled himself. I thought he ran a really good race and when asked to stretch, he really dug down deep and went away from them, so we can’t ask for more.
“He’ll have a nice break now, put him away and have a nice holiday and obviously get him ready for the new season.”
His victory led a double for Crawford and jockey Karis Teetan with Sovereign Fund (Capitalist), while Teetan made it a treble on the night aboard David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Resilience (Blue Point {Ire}).
“He’s a lovely horse, we always thought he was a nice horse and every time he’s gone to the races, he’s shown it, and today was a big task,” Teetan said of Mr Incredible.
Karis Teetan | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Westbury Stud sold Mr Incredible for $325,000 to TFI at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and he was on-sold via Inglis Digital in June 2025 for $120,000 as an untried 2-year-old. He placed at the trials shortly afterwards for his new owners and was sent to Hong Kong where he won on debut in March 2026.
He’s a half-brother to Group 2 winner and sire Prost, as well as exciting debutant winning 2-year-old colt Omolong (Extreme Choice). Their dam, Samarmeteors (Northern Meteor), is a city winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}), the dam of G1 Golden Slipper winner and sire Shinzo and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates (Snitzel).
Doubles for Blue Point and Toronado
Mr Incredible led home a double for Swettenham Stud’s Toronado (Ire) who also scored with Caspar Fownes-trained Verbier (Fr). A €28,000 (AU$46,000) yearling, Verbier has done all his racing in Hong Kong and took his record to three wins from 31 starts with earnings over HK$2.3 million (AU$425,000).
Former shuttle sire Blue Point (Ire), who stood at Darley from 2020 to 2024 and now resides in Europe, celebrated a double on the Sha Tin card with Ka Ying Resilience and Colourful King.
Ka Ying Resilience was a trial winner at Geelong before he headed to Hong Kong where he has won two of his 16 starts and HK$2.25 million (AU$416,000). He was sold by Mill Park Stud for $180,000 to Merrick Staunton at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Colourful King had five starts in Australia, when named Blue Renegade, all at two and he won twice at Caulfield, before heading to Hong Kong where he has added four more victories. He took his Hong Kong earnings over HK$13.1 million (AU$2.4 million).
Atzeni double gives him best season
Jockey Andrea Atzeni steered Colourful King to victory for David Eustace and made it a double for the evening on the John Size-trained Master Lucky (Shamus Award). The double took him to 60 wins for the season, bettering his previous best season tally of 58 which he achieved last season.
“Reaching 60 wins was a target; I thought it was a nice number and we got there today and we’ve got a few meetings left, so I can’t complain,” Atzeni told scmp.com.
Andrea Atzeni | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Colourful King might be set for next year’s Royal Ascot carnival.
“It’s been spoken about when he won for Zac (Purton) and then was second in the Group 3, Zac said ‘that’s the race that Little Bridge won and then they went to Ascot’, so it’s certainly a possibility, but it’s a long way to go,” Eustace said.
On Saturday’s win, Eustace added, “There was a little bit of me that was going to put him away after his last run, but obviously this race was too hard to pass up, so he freshened up well in Conghua and hasn’t done a lot since he ran at Happy Valley.
“We’ve had just a frustrating run of near misses and disappointments, I suppose at the Valley, but he’s just clearly a better horse here down the straight. But there hasn’t been any races for him for a while. This race obviously was perfect and he had slightly less weight – he wasn’t having to shoulder top weight which counts for a lot as well.”
“This race obviously was perfect and he (Colourful King) had slightly less weight – he wasn’t having to shoulder top weight which counts for a lot as well.” - David Eustace
Not offered at auction, G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy-placed Colourful King is the final foal of Hard Rider (NZ) (Maroof {USA}) who also produced Group 3 winner Big Chill (Artie Schiller {USA}), Listed winners Utah Saints (God’s Own) and Hard Stride (Street Sense {USA}) and stakes-placed pair Rough Justice (Wanted) and Leather’n’Lace (Street Cry {Ire}).
Fownes adds one more victory
Verbier’s victory extended Caspar Fownes to 65 wins for the season, putting him five ahead of Danny Shum on 60 with five meetings left in the season. Mark Newnham has 59 wins, Francis Lui has 54 and David Hayes has 53. Fownes is headed for his fifth Trainer’s Championship having won in 2006/07, 2008/09, 2013/14 and 2020/21.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot of winners in the camp, which I’ve kept for the last few meetings because I knew it was a very strong battle this year and I wanted to make sure I was very well prepared,” Fownes said.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot of winners in the camp.” - Caspar Fownes
Caspar Fownes | Image courtesy of the Hong Jockey Club
“It’s been a great battle all season and I’m proud of the way the stable has responded – my team has worked very hard and I really hope I can get this championship because I’ve gone on record as saying this one means a lot to me and I hope I can get it.”
Safest and Best Housekeeping Stable Award
The Safest and Best Housekeeping Stable Award for 2025/26 was awarded to Me Tsui’s stable. Tsui also won the award in 2022/23.
“The Safest and Best Housekeeping Stable Award was introduced as part of the Safety in Action Campaign launched by the Hong Kong Jockey Club in the 2002/03 season. The aim is to raise staff awareness of occupational safety and promote the importance of having a safe and healthy working environment in the stables,” said the Hong Kong Jockey Club in a press release.
“The Safety Committee judging panel, comprised of representatives from various departments within the Hong Kong Jockey Club, conducted stable inspections to assess the standards of hygiene and cleanliness in the workplace. The results of these inspections were then combined with accident ratios to derive overall scores.”
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday, July 1 with the Hong Kong Reunification Raceday.
