Dennis Yip Chor-hong is dreaming of back-to-back Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) wins after Noisy Boy’s Class Two Able Friend Handicap (2,000m) success under Andrea Atzeni at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Noisy Boy made it consecutive victories with his weekend win, adding to his success over the Happy Valley 2,200m last month with a three-quarter-length triumph as a heavily backed $6.8 chance.

“He’s a very nice horse and he has upside. When the horse got to Hong Kong I just wanted to make him stronger,” said Yip, who snared the city’s most prestigious race with Massive Sovereign last year.

“Tomorrow he will be in the first entries for the Derby.”

Yip confirmed Noisy Boy could step back in trip for the Classic Cup (1,800m) before heading to the Derby, while he revealed he is hopeful of booking Christophe Soumillon to partner Fast Network in the first leg of the four-year-old series, the Classic Mile, on January 31.

Noisy Boy’s win completed a double for Atzeni after his earlier success aboard Gold Master for Manfred Man Ka-leung, who enjoyed a brace of his own thanks to the later success of Patch Of Cosmo.

David Hall was the other trainer to double up, with the Australian handler shaking off a 42-runner dry spell with the wins of Mr Energia and Prince Of Porty.

Meanwhile, John Size will consider running Bundle Award in the Classic Mile after the galloper broke his Hong Kong maiden in some style at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Victorious over a mile when known as Prince Prawn in Australia, Bundle Award built on a last-start third to deliver the goods under James McDonald in the Class Three Mr Vitality Handicap (1,400m).

“He went well. He certainly looked like he improved on his last start – he promised that he was going to win a race and he did it straight away,” said Size of Bundle Award, who will move to a rating somewhere in the mid-70s.

“He’s healthy enough [to tackle the Classic Mile]. I’ll have a look at it and we’ll see.”

Williams a HK winner again

Star Australian jockey Craig Williams landed his first Hong Kong winner since 2017 on Sunday, booting the Cody Mo Wai-kit-trained Forerunner home in the Class Four Waikuku Handicap (1,400m).

Victorious aboard Dunaden in the 2011 Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m), Williams’ win aboard Forerunner was his 124th in the city – many of which came when he was based here permanently during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.

“It’s great to be here. It was a home away from home for a long period of my life and I was very grateful for the opportunity I had many years ago to make me the rider and the person I am today, so it’s nice to come back,” said Williams, who finished sixth aboard Magic Control for Mo in the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m).

“It gives me a great thrill and it makes every jockey around the world strive to want to come and be a jockey in this district. I still watch [Hong Kong racing] at home and the replays the next day.

“I love tuning in on a Sunday when I can and Hong Kong remains one of the places I hold very dear.

“[Forerunner] has been consistent without winning – people say frustrating because it’s all about winning in our game – but today he gave me a nice ride, he was very well prepared by Cody Mo and his team.

“We had a nice run in transit and when the chips were down, I had to rely on my horse’s determination to win and he was able to hold them off.”

Shum and J-Mac keep rolling

Danny Shum Chap-shing and McDonald continued their impressive season as a duo by taking out Sunday’s opening race with Blazing Wind.

The pair, who head to Dubai on Sunday night ahead of Romantic Warrior’s run in Friday’s Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan, have teamed up for six wins from just 22 attempts in 2024-25.

“He was good but he can be better. He tried to stop rather than increasing his speed, which is a problem I can hopefully fix,” Shum said after Blazing Wind broke his maiden at start eight in the Class Four Beat The Clock Handicap (1,200m).

“Romantic Warrior is good, everything is going to plan. No problems.”

Moore pays tribute to superstar

Legendary trainer John Moore has paid tribute to 2013-14 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs On Rome, who died in Australia last weekend following a bout of colic.

Victorious in the 2014 Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), Designs On Rome celebrated four successes at Group One level, winning the Hong Kong Cup and the QE II Cup in 2014 and snaring the Gold Cup in 2015 and 2016.

“In 2014 and 2015 he was our champion and he kept the stable in the limelight. He did everything we asked of him,” Moore said of the Irish-bred Designs On Rome, who spent his retirement at Living Legends.

“He continued a stable tradition of me being able to source a top horse out of Europe given the right budget.

“Tommy Berry, in particular, enjoyed riding him because he said that when he came up to horses there was always half a length there when you pulled the whip through to the right hand.

“He was the real deal and he gave us a lot of satisfaction.”