British and Irish imports have made an impact in Hong Kong

PA Sport Reporters
March 21, 2020 2:30 pm

Riches have awaited in Far East.

No less than six runners in Sunday’s prestigious BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin have previously plied their trade in Britain and Ireland, with Irish 2,000 Guineas third Decrypt, Glorious Goodwood winner More Than This and Listed hero Private Secretary particularly familiar names. Their successful transfers are certainly not a new phenomenon, so we take a look back at five ex-British and Irish runners that have made a splash in the Far East:

Viva Pataca

Known as Comic Strip when trained by Sir Mark Prescott in Britain, the Marju gelding won five times domestically before switching to the care of John Moore in Hong Kong. Renamed Viva Pataca, he won eight Group One events in Hong Kong and was crowned Horse of the Year for the 2008-9 season. He retired with earnings of £5.9million in 2011.

Designs On Rome

A son of Holy Roman Emperor, Designs On Rome began his racing life with Patrick Flynn in Ireland, proving himself an incredibly capable juvenile in chasing home subsequent Derby winner Dawn Approach in the 2012 National Stakes. After joining Moore, he racked up four Group One wins – including the 2014 Hong Kong Cup – and bagged £4.8million in prize-money.

Military Attack

Trained by John Hills and racing as Rave, the son of Oratorio won three times in Britain before joining Caspar Fownes and taking the name Military Attack. He won two Group Ones in his racing career, extending his reach beyond just Hong Kong when winning the 2013 Singapore Airlines Cup. That victory helped him to be named the 2012-13 Horse of the Year.

Time Warp

Another graduate of the Prescott academy, few would have imagined a Southwell maiden winner would have just short of £3.8million in the bank at the age of seven. A three-time British winner, Time Warp claimed the 2017 Hong Kong Cup for Tony Cruz and won the Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup on his most recent run in February.

Irishcorrespondent

Irishcorrespondent was a high-profile recruit to the Hong Kong scene after taking third place in the 2017 Irish 2,000 Guineas behind Churchill. He had one more run for Michael Halford after that, finishing fifth at Royal Ascot, before joining Tony Cruz’s string and being renamed Exultant. With three Group One wins and £5.1million to his name, it has been a very lucrative move for this Teofilo gelding.