My Wish has owners dreaming of December after G3 Celebration Cup win

My Wish announced himself as Hong Kong’s newest star with a storming victory in yesterday’s G3 Celebration Cup at Sha Tin, stamping himself as a genuine contender for December’s Longines Hong Kong Mile.

The four-year-old tipped the scales at just 1,005 pounds – the first time he has cracked the 1,000 mark – and for a horse of his size he continues to punch above his weight. That body weight puts My Wish in the bottom three percent of horses to have raced in Hong Kong over the last 15 years but he is clearly big on talent and heart. Branded with a rocket on his shoulder, My Wish is fast becoming Hong Kong’s “Pocket Rocket.”

“Maybe people will start talking about his ability as much as his size now,” trainer Mark Newnham quipped after the race. My Wish found a perfect spot in the run for jockey Luke Ferraris but after box-seating throughout, he was hemmed in as the field straightened. Once the run came though, My Wish showed a turn-of-foot that should hold him in good stead at Group 1 level.

“The last thing I told Luke before he went out was ‘trust your horse’ and he did,” Newnham said. “It was good to see him take the gap late – that shows he’s got courage as well as ability.”

The 1,400-meter Group 3 handicap, previously known as the National Day Cup, has long been a launchpad for champions as they resume for their five-year-old campaigns. Ambitious Dragon returned to win the race
in 2011, while Beauty Generation (2017), Golden Sixty (2020) and California Spangle (2022) all followed the
same path. Those four horses won seven Hong Kong Miles and seven Hong Kong horse of the year awards between them. 

My Wish was a heartbreaking second in this year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby, clocking one of the fastest final 400m sectionals ever recorded at the end of 2,000m at Sha Tin. But back at a mile, Newnham believes the tactical nature of 1,600m racing in Hong Kong is ideal for the horse’s sit-and-sprint style.

“Coming back to the mile really suits him – it plays to his strengths,” the trainer said. “He just needs to learn to settle a bit better in the run and then he’ll give himself every chance at the top level.”

That “top level” means a clash with Voyage Bubble, the reigning Triple Crown champion, eventually at level weights in the Longines Hong Kong Mile on December 14. Newnham will stick to the traditional path: the Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy in three weeks, then the Group 2 BOCHK Jockey Club Mile on November 23 – My Wish will carry five pounds less than Voyage Bubble in those races – before December’s ultimate test on International Day.

Yesterday’s win also marked a career milestone for the 23-year-old Ferraris, who notched his first Group race success in Hong Kong. “It was fantastic to do it with this horse and a trainer like Mark, who has supported me since he has been here,” Ferraris said. “It’s a team effort – it’s been very rewarding – and hopefully there is more to come.”