Little Paradise and Invincible Ibis will each bid to end a 15-year wait at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 April) and become the first four-year-old since Xtension in 2011 to claim the HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m).
The Four-Year-Old Classic Series is the proving ground for the city’s up-and-coming talent. Little Paradise, winner of the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), and Invincible Ibis, winner of the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m), will try their luck on FWD Champions Day against race-hardened opposition – all older, more experienced and some better credentialed, including several Group 1 winners.
Five-year-olds are the most successful age group in the FWD Champions Mile, with nine winners since 2001. Six-year-olds have prevailed six times in that period, while four-year-olds won five times between 2001 and 2011. However, since then, none has been successful.
Voyage Bubble and My Wish were fourth as four-year-olds in the 2023 and 2025 editions of the FWD Champions Mile, respectively. Galaxy Patch was fifth in 2024, while California Spangle finished second at four behind champion Golden Sixty in 2022.
Jimmy Ting, trainer of Little Paradise, teams with Zac Purton, a triple winner of the FWD Champions Mile aboard Beauty Generation (2018 & 2019) and Beauty Eternal (2024).
Ting said: “I think this is a very open race and it is hard to say who is the best. He’s a good horse. The last few times he ran bad, because in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) he missed the start and, in the Hong Kong Derby he was just too far back.”
Little Paradise was held up in the Hong Kong Classic Mile before his dazzling turn of foot was unleashed in the home straight. He clocked a race-best 22.51s final 400m on his way to victory, while in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, he finished a distant ninth.
Ting put the Toronado gelding through a 1200m trial on 16 April, making all in 1m 10.96s (25.6, 23.0, 22.3) on the dirt in front of last year’s victor Red Lion, whom he reopposes this weekend, as well as Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Docklands.
“His trial was good, and I hope he can run well. Zac is happy – he liked the trial and he thinks he’s in good form,” Ting said. “I think I’d like to see him sit somewhere midfield or closer in the run, but I’ll leave it to Zac – he knows the horse. The trial was a bit hard for him, so there’s no need to do too much.”
Purton said: “Before the Classic Mile, I was really impressed. I thought he was a lovely horse, and when I made my decision not to ride him, I did say that I think he will end up the best four-year-old out of the (Four-Year-Old Classic) Series.
“Coming back to a mile now is another challenge against the older horses. The four-year-olds don’t have a good record in this race, so I am looking forward to riding him to see how much he’s improved since I’ve last been on him – what feel he gives me, whether I think he can run a mile at this level against the older horses or whether we go down a different path after this. It’s his chance to show us where he is at.”
Invincible Ibis is also a frequent winner in Hong Kong, with five successes topped by his BMW Hong Kong Derby triumph last month. A double winner over the mile, the Hellbent gelding, who was third to Little Paradise in that recent barrier trial, links with James McDonald after recent partner Hugh Bowman opted to ride stablemate My Wish.
Little Paradise steps from barrier two, while Invincible Ibis goes out of gate five. Stormy Grove, winner of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series’ middle leg – the Hong Kong Classic Cup worth HK$13 million – is a standby starter for the FWD Champions Mile.
Sunday’s (26 April) 11-race FWD Champions Day fixture at Sha Tin commences at 12.30pm with the Class 4 FWD Insurance Act Private Handicap (1200m).
By Declan Schuster
