Numbers Leads All the Way to Win Centenary Vase, Boosts Derby Hopes

Numbers produced a commanding front-running win in the Group 3 Centenary Vase (1800m) at Sha Tin, leading all the way from barrier two to take the HK$4.2 million feature by two lengths in 1:46.36. The Tivaci gelding stamped himself as a genuine contender for the remainder of the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Classic Series, with connections eyeing the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1 March) and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (22 March).

From barrier two, jockey Derek Leung rolled Numbers straight to the lead and dictatied the tempo, with Ensued sitting at his flank. Numbers relaxed early before Leung asked him to pick up at the 800m, and he responded to draw clear in the straight. Chancheng Glory briefly loomed, but Numbers kicked strongly when asked. Speed Dragon closed well into second, while Encountered finished third.

Leung reflected on the performance, saying, “He was still a bit nervous in the gates, but he did a good job. After he relaxed, I started to pick up at the 800m… he listened to me, and he made my job pretty easy.” Leung added a note on versatility that underlines why connections are optimistic about the Derby distance: “He can lead, or if someone’s going faster, he can be second or third - just whatever he wants to be. He loves to chase a horse… he loves the challenge.”

Trainer Frankie Lor has been public in targeting the Classic Series with Numbers, and his pre-race assessment proved prescient: “He (Numbers) looks okay, everything is good. He trialled well over 1600m at Sha Tin (on 20 January) and his work since has been good.” Lor added, “This time, we try to get a Group 3 with him. We have got a light weight, which I hope will help him. We are looking towards the (Hong Kong) Classic Cup and the (BMW Hong Kong) Derby.”

Numbers carries a compelling background. Bred in New Zealand by P Hay and Waikato Stud Ltd, he was a $50,000 purchase as Lot 231 at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale and raced in Australia as King of Thunder. His record now stands at 15 starts for four wins and seven placings, and his short Hong Kong career includes two wins and a placing from three starts for HK$7.4 million. Breednet and race-day coverage noted a Ready to Run Sale quinella in the Centenary Vase, with Speed Dragon again proving durable to finish runner-up.

There is a minor discrepancy in published reports over the weight Numbers carried in the race, with some previews listing 115 lb and at least one post-race report citing 117 lb. The wider picture, however, is clear: Numbers has moved from an eye-catching December front-running win to Group 3 success and now sits firmly on the Derby radar. With the Classic Cup and Derby looming in March, Numbers is a must-follow prospect for punters and Derby-watchers alike as Hong Kong’s four-year-old series reaches its decisive stages.