Royal Ascot winner Waipiro will be moved from Ed Walker's yard and sent over to Hong Kong and is now being primed for the Hong Kong Derby next year.
Seen just once as a juvenile when being sent into a hot maiden at Kempton over a mile and finishing sixth, he returned this term with the big aim the Epsom Derby in June.
A winner at Newmarket on seasonal debut in taking fashion, he then went to Lingfield for the Listed Derby Trial and ran Military Order very close back in second.
Looking an each way player in the fourth Classic race of the season at Epsom he finished a fair sixth of 14, finishing just over 10 lengths behind the winner Auguste Rodin.
Dropped in trip to 1m2f at Royal Ascot which looked to suit, he ran out a taking winner of the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
A half-brother to Waikuku, who was a multiple Group One winner in Hong Kong, Waipiro will not run again for Walker and will be campaigned towards the Hong Kong Derby next year for owners the Siu family, with the owners always wanting a good European horse to take back to Hong Kong.
Waipiro is back! @edwalkerracing’s colt wins the Hampton Court at #RoyalAscot and it’s a double on the day for @TomMarquand! @Ascot pic.twitter.com/5uGJRjf6Wa
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 22, 2023
(Credit ATR) “He will continue his career in Hong Kong, unfortunately,” said 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.”
He added: “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.”