The BMW Hong Kong Derby is the ultimate prize in the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series and a once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

Exclusive to four-year-olds, the Derby's allure lies in the fact that contenders have a single shot at glory, making victory in the race a most coveted feat of achievement for trainers, jockeys and owners. Staged at a distance of 2000 metres, it is a supreme test for Hong Kong's emerging stars.

The Derby follows the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup in the Classic Series and the race is well established as a key identifier of Hong Kong's future heroes. The list of past victors attests to that, with Ambitious Dragon, Designs On Rome, Werther and Rapper Dragon among the Derby winners to subsequently claim Horse of the Year honours in the same season. And 2020 winner Golden Sixty has since become the most outstanding local hero of the decade.

Last year Romantic Warrior has forged into BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) history as the first triumphant graduate of the Hong Kong International Sale after crowning a meteoric rise by snaring the HK$24 million Classic with dramatic victory over California Spangle.

BMW have sponsored the Hong Kong Derby since 2013 and the prize money for the race increased from HK$20 million to HK$24 million in 2021.