3 minute read

Hampton Court Stakes winner Waipiro will leave the care of trainer Ed Walker and continue his career in Hong Kong.

Owned by the Siu family, the Australia colt is a half-brother to Waikuku, who won the Group 1 Steward's Cup over a mile at Sha Tin in 2022. Waikuku has acquired earnings of nearly four-and-a-half million pounds since his own transfer to Hong Kong for the same owners.

Waipiro was a comfortable winner of a ten-furlong novice stakes event at Newmarket before finishing second in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes on the all-weather at Lingfield. He produced a big effort to finish sixth in the Epsom Derby on only his fourth career start and returned to winning ways at the Royal meeting, recording an impressive victory in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes.

"He will continue his career in Hong Kong, unfortunately," said trainer Ed Walker.

"Obviously the Siu family, who own him, have lots of horses in training in Hong Kong.

"The reason I have horses for the Siu family, and they are such great supporters, is to produce horses for Hong Kong.

"He is the perfect horse for the Hong Kong Derby. Mr Siu tries to buy one or two horses for the Hong Kong Derby every year and why would you not take Waipiro and try and buy another one?

"Every owner in Hong Kong wanting a European horse for the Derby would want Waipiro.

"He's the perfect horse, he loves fast ground, he's got a high cruising speed, huge talent, 10 furlongs – he's the right horse for the job.

"His half-brother which they owned, Waikuku, was a Group One winner in Hong Kong, having finished runner-up in the [Hong Kong] Derby in 2019. There was always a good chance they would take him to Hong Kong.

"He'll probably win a lot more prize money in Hong Kong than he would in Britain."