Tony Cruz says no Derby for Winning Ovation after brilliant Sha Tin comeback

Tony Cruz produced a training masterclass with Winning Ovation at Sha Tin on Sunday, but the veteran horseman has already ruled the talented four-year-old out of the 2026 BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Winning Ovation made all under a cool front-running ride from Alexis Badel to land the Cumberland Handicap, returning from a long absence with a performance that immediately raised the obvious question of whether owner Eddy Wong Ming-chak might pay the HK$150,000 late entry fee for a crack at Hong Kong’s most coveted race in two weeks.

Cruz did not hesitate.

“No,” he said.

The trainer’s caution came after a long and delicate recovery from a serious tendon injury that kept the Irish import away from the races for 10 months.

“The owners were so patient, they gave the horse plenty of time - I was so worried about his legs,” Cruz said.

Asked the key to bringing Winning Ovation back from such a long layoff, Cruz’s answer was simple. “Time,” he said. “Time is the key, don’t rush them, I had to be especially careful because he is a big horse.”

Winning Ovation’s first-up success over 1400 meters, beating fellow promising four-year-old Super Express, suggested he has a bright future, but Cruz said stretching him to Derby distance would be the wrong move.

“Even though he won like that today we won’t be going to the Derby, he is a sprinter, a miler at most,” Cruz said.

Owner’s son Kirk Wong King-wai backed the call, making it clear the family was happy to leave the big decisions to Cruz.

“We always let Tony decide these things,” Wong said. “To go from 1400 to 2000m is tough, and he has taken this long to come back - we also think the horse has a bit of potential so we want to take care of him.”

Wong said Winning Ovation was not the only example of patience paying off, also pointing to David Hall’s handling of Magnifique on the same card.

“David was just so patient with Magnifique,” Wong said of Hall’s effort to bring the sprinter back from a bleeding attack with two wins. “I’m glad we have found the right people.”