Atlantic Jewel Set Son For Hong Kong Derby

A trial win on Tuesday at Sha Tin has Russian Emperor (Galileo-Atlantic Jewel, by Fastnet Rock) on target for the Hong Kong Derby, reports the Hong Kong Jockey Club. "He's come on from his last run and that trial today will probably just top him off - he's a big horse and he's a colt still, so he's going to need every ounce of work that I can give him," trainer Douglas Whyte said. "He'll go home now and probably come on slightly from that trial - it's all systems go from here on in." The 4YO entire won twice in Ireland as a 3YO including the Gr3 Royal Ascot Hampton Court Stakes while trained by Aiden O'Brien, then finished seventh in the Gr1 Epsom Derby. Sent to Hong Kong, he had two awful runs in January, but bounced back to run second in the Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup on 21 February 2021. "I think his last run was probably the fittest I've ever had him and the result suggested that," Whyte said. "He's a really kind and gentle horse - he has the right frame of mind for a colt, there's no nastiness about him and he's very eager and willing to do whatever you ask of him." Russian Emperor's dam, Atlantic Jewel, won four Group 1 races in Australia before being sent to Ireland to stud. Her first five foals are all by Galileo (Sadler's Wells) and she has a 2020 colt by Justify (Scat Daddy). Her first foal, Empireofthedragon, was unplaced, while 5YO entire Pacific Ocean is a winner over a mile. Russian Emperor is her third foal, with her 3YO filly by Galileo and 2YO colt by Galileo still unnamed.