| Group One (domestic) race | |
 The start of the 2023 Hong Kong Derby | |
| Location | Sha Tin Racecourse Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1873 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Website | Hong Kong Derby |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2000m (10 furlongs) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old only |
| Weight | Colt/Gelding: 126 lbs (57.2 kg) Filly: 122 lbs. (55.3 kg) |
| Purse | HK$24 million |
The Hong Kong Derby is a Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1873. Restricted to horses four-years-old only since 1981, the race is run in mid-March and is the premier event on the domestic racing programme with a purse of HK$18 million (app. US$2.3 million). This race is the last race in the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
The first Hong Kong Derby was raced at Happy Valley Racecourse but in 1979 was transferred permanently to its present location at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Since 1981, the Derby has been won by several horses who went on to earn Hong Kong Horse of the Year honors including Football, Co-Tack, Yuno When and River Verdon. In 2003, Elegant Fashion became the first filly to win the Derby since 1976.
From 2004 to 2012, the race was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. It is sponsored by BMW since 2013, and since then the Hong Kong actor and martial artist Donnie Yen has been appointed as the "BMW Hong Kong Derby Ambassador" for promoting the event and presenting the awards to the winning units.[1][2]
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