Derby dreaming for Jimmy Ting as Little Paradise enters Classic Mile contention

It is every trainer’s dream to win the BMW Hong Kong Derby but for Jimmy Ting Koon-ho it would mean more than most and he has a live prospect in Class 2 winner Little Paradise.

Ting told The Standard he has never had a runner in the opening leg of the Four-year-old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, let alone the Derby. That could change after Little Paradise surged from Class 4 to Class 2 with four wins from seven starts, yesterday’s success over 1,400 meters stamping him as a January 20 Classic Mile contender.

For a stable that scraped to 20 wins last season, has only 41 horses on its books and arrived at yesterday’s meeting second last with five wins, a genuine Classic prospect is a rare and potentially transformational asset. Ting knows a headline horse can shift perceptions – and numbers.

“Normally, when the stable is not so many horses, when you get a good horse, then suddenly some horses come,” Ting said. “Yeah, it can be the horse that attracts owners.” 

Any pressure, he added, is eased by owner Ko Kam-pui’s experience at the top end, highlighted by Royal Ascot winner Little Bridge. “The owner is very nice … just before the race, he told me that it’s okay to win or lose. It’s a good race,” Ting said.

Little Paradise’s rating now has him securely in the Classic Mile frame. 

“Yes, he’s already got enough ratings points to go to that race,” Ting said, before looking further ahead. 
“I think this horse can handle 1,600m, even 1,800m. It doesn’t matter. But 2,000m? I don’t know.”

The Derby over 2,000m remains Hong Kong’s most coveted prize, the finale of a series that also includes the Classic Cup (1,800m) on March 1. Horses are often stretched beyond their ideal range to chase it, such is the prestige, and Ting believes Little Paradise’s Toronado pedigree and relaxed temperament make the path worth exploring.
 

Zac Purton, who has taken over the ride from Luke Ferraris this season, was equally bullish. 

“He’s a lovely horse, he’s got a really good attitude. He moves well, he’s good size. So he’s got the potential to go on with it,” Purton said.

Asked about Ting’s plan to try him at 1,600m – and early Derby discussion – Purton smiled: “Of course he is talking about the Derby – every four-year-old in Hong Kong is running in the Derby.”

Purton could face a typically tough decision come Classic Mile time given he has ridden another potential contender, Invincible Ibis, to back-to-back wins and is booked to ride again at a mile on December 20.

The Classic buildup has been punctuated by injuries to key four-year-old series prospects, including Bulb General, last season’s ‘Champion Griffin’ Sky Jewellery and expensive Irish import Massive Contender, who walked out of quarantine with an injury, leaving the series more open than it looked at the start of the season.
For Ting, Little Paradise may have come along at just the right time.