Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Buddies had won seven races before Sunday, two for current trainer Tony Cruz and five for John Moore, but he had yet to bring his best form to stakes racing. He broke a nine-month winning drought on Sunday on the 1400 metre G3 Celebration Cup, leading all the way under jockey Matthew Chadwick.
He led home an Australian-bred quinella, with the Danny Shum-trained Tourbillon Diamond (Olympic Glory {Ire}), who raced as Eric The Eel in Australia, second while last year's Listed Hong Kong Derby winner, Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) was third.
Buddies pictured as a yearling, purchased by George Moore Bloodstock for $320,000
Buddies was co-bred by Yarraman Park and Conor O'Brien and made an impression at the 2017 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale when selling for $320,000 through the draft of Yarraman Park to George Moore Bloodstock.
His dam, Gladwell (Anabaa {USA}), was stakes placed twice in her career and is one of six winners out of the city-winning Rory's Jester mare Excitant.
Gladwell has not had the most straightforward breeding career, but her two winners to the track have been Buddies and Relentless (Hallowed Crown), who has won three races and been Listed-placed in Singapore for trainer Tim Fitzsimmons.
The Taghadoe connection
Peter and Alison Burke's Taghadoe Stud is now the home of his dam Gladwell, and Buddies' stakes breakthrough on Sunday was well-celebrated at the Scone farm.
"Conor and Nicki O'Brien who were at Yarraman Park, decided to move back to Ireland and needed to find the mare a home. They contacted myself and Alison and we went in on a bit of a joint venture on her," Peter Burke told TDN AusNZ.
"She was in foal to So You Think at the time and we were going to go halves, but unfortunately the foal died. We discovered then that the mare was hemolytic. They then gave us the mare to take care of and said as long as she had a good home, she'd be left with us."
Gladwell subsequently produced a brother to Buddies and that So You think colt will head to the yearling sales in 2022.
"He's a lovely colt. She is part of the family now and if we get a foal out of her, I think it's a bonus," Burke said.
"She (Gladwell) is part of the family now and if we get a foal out of her, I think it's a bonus." - Peter Burke
Gladwell slipped a filly by another Coolmore stallion, Churchill (Ire), earlier this year and visited the same stallion again on Sunday.
"She likes a big, scopey horse and I like his (Churchill's) breeding, especially on the female line. There is plenty of speed there. He's very reasonably priced and he's going gangbusters in Europe at the moment," Burke said.
"She's done a great job at stud considering the number of foals that she has had and it’s a bonus when she can produce one."
So You Think (NZ), sire of Buddies | Standing at Coolmore
Buddies became the first stakes winner for So You Think (NZ) in Hong Kong, where he has seven winners overall from 15 runners.
"She (Gladwell) likes a big, scopey horse and I like his (Churchill's) breeding, especially on the female line." - Peter Burke
Meanwhile, Cruz will next target the G2 Premier Bowl H., but remains sceptical over Buddies' ability to contend at a shorter trip.
“A mile is too long for him, 1200 metres is too short for him. But I don’t have an option at 1400 (metres), so I’ll go to the 1200 (metre) race on 17 October,” he said. “Seven furlongs is his best distance but I don’t have any races for him.”
The other Australian-bred winner on the card was Infinite Power (Smart Missile) in the Class 4 Kwong Fuk H. over 1200 metres. The Frankie Lor-trained 6-year-old led all the way to claim his second Hong Kong Win from 11 starts.
One of two winners for Twin Hills Stud stallion Smart Missile in Hong Kong this season, he was an $80,000 purchase by New Zealand Bloodstock at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of his co-breeders at Arrowfield Stud.
Packing Victory highlights Kiwi quintet
It was a big day out for New Zealand-bred horses, with five winners sporting the (NZ) suffix including the Shum-trained Packing Victory (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}).
The promising 4-year-old took his unbeaten streak to three with a narrow win in the Class 3 Fu Tai H. over 1200 metres, having already won this season.
Packing Victory (NZ) has now clocked up three consecutive wins | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ridden by Zac Purton, he held off Five Elements (NZ) (Telperion) and Master Delight (Rubick), the half-brother to Group 1 winner Pierata, who raced as Jet Propulsion in Australia where he was placed in a G2 Stan Fox S. Both the second and third horses were on their Hong Kong debuts.
"It was a good effort, they tried to make it hard for him – they took him on,” Purton said. “They tried to box him, but I maintained his rhythm and kept him in the right spot. He was there to be beaten and he fought hard."
"They tried to box him (Packing Victory), but I maintained his rhythm and kept him in the right spot. He was there to be beaten and he fought hard." - Zac Purton
Packing Victory was bred by Westbury Stud and was passed in when offered as a yearling at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale before being sold privately. His dam Espresso Cavallo (Lonhro) is a half-sister to Singapore stakes performer Fantastic Owners (Fantastic Light {USA}).
Master Hero (NZ) gave his sire Savabeel his second winner of the Hong Kong season when victorious for Cruz and Joao Moreira in the Class 3, Hing Man H. over 1400 metres.
It was the Waikato Stud-bred 5-year-old Hong Kong International Sale graduate’s second win in 12 starts for Cruz.
A brother to Group 1 winner Savvy Coup (NZ), he was a NZ$500,000 purchase by the HKJC from the Waikato Stud draft at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Master Hero (NZ) pictured as a yearling
Trillion Win (NZ) (Proisir) also claimed his second career win in Hong Kong for trainer Manfred Man, winning the Class 2 Cheung Hong H. over 1200 metres.
Bred by Daniel and Elias Nakhle, he was twice a winner in New Zealand for Peter and Dawn Williams under the name Destination (NZ) and is now building a good record for himself in Hong Kong. He is one of three winners there for Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir.
Ferlax (NZ) gelding Iron King (NZ), bred by the Pye family and sold by Haunui Farm as a yearling back in 2017, claimed his second career win for Dennis Yip in the Class 5 Wa Fu H. over 1200 metres.
The Benno Yung-trained Voyage Star (NZ) (Guillotine {NZ}), bred by Windsor Park, was the other Kiwi-bred winner, claiming victory in the Class 4 Shun Lee H. over 1400 metres.
Midweek joy
Australasian-bred runners also tasted success in last Wednesday's meeting at Happy Valley.
Savabeel and Ferlax both had winners on that card as well through the Caspar Fownes-trained Fast Pace and David Hayes-prepared Red Majesty (NZ).
New Zealand-bred All Joyful (NZ) (Shocking) won for Yung, while Australian-bred trio Momentum Galaxy (The Factor {USA}), All Beauty (All Too Hard) and Harmony N Blessed (Magnus) also greeted the judge first.
