Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong International Sale was inaugurated in 1995 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is a thoroughbred auction designed to provide Hong Kong permit holders for ownership a chance to purchase an internationally-bred and imported unraced thoroughbred, which in Hong Kong is defined with the term Griffin.
The sale is conducted as a breeze-up sale and is a select offering of thoroughbreds aged three years old. The lots have been sourced as yearlings from some of the best international sale grounds.
Boomer Bloodstock
Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) is the Southern Hemisphere agent for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and sources talent for the jurisdiction.
In 2023, Boomer Bloodstock, on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has already made several high-profile purchases that, pending all goes to plan, will be the next generation of gallopers to grace the jurisdiction two tracks, the unique Happy Valley and the spectacular Sha Tin.
Craig Rounsefell | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Among them was a $900,000 colt by So You Think (NZ) from the G1 Hong Kong Champion Miler winner Lucky Owners (NZ) family. Davali Thoroughbreds offered the colt as agent for Bylong Park at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Another purchase was a $650,000 colt by Deep Field, whose progeny have become popular with Hong Kong buyers. The colt is from The Soloist (Smart Missile). She is a half-sister to the recently retired Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Hot King Prawn (Denman).
While at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Hong Kong Jockey Club signed $850,000 over for a colt by Toronado (Ire).
Gallery: Some of the yearling purchases Craig Rounsefell made on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Rounsefell, who is currently in Hong Kong, took the time to explain to TDN AusNZ the importance of The Hong Kong International Sale to the jurisdiction and the process the thoroughbreds catalogued undertook to get there.
“The Hong Kong International Sale is an important sale for the jurisdiction as it provides Hong Kong Jockey Club members with an opportunity to purchase ready-made racehorses that have been specifically selected as a yearling and then educated with the sole focus of being successful in Hong Kong,” Rounsefell said.
“The Hong Kong International Sale is an important sale for the jurisdiction as it provides Hong Kong Jockey Club members with an opportunity to purchase ready-made racehorses that have been specifically selected as a yearling and then educated with the sole focus of being successful in Hong Kong.” - Craig Rounsefell
“The Hong Kong Jockey Club is determined to provide successful PPG permit holders with a premium product that will excel in Hong Kong. Thus the yearlings purchased each year have exceptional pedigrees and conformation and have been through rigorous training regimes to ensure they are well suited to Hong Kong.
Rounsefell outlined the process for yearlings purchased from the sales globally.
“The yearlings purchased in Australia and New Zealand go straight to Tim Boland's property, Limitless Lodge, from the time of purchase until they are presented at the sale in Hong Kong. The Northern Hemisphere and South African horses go to the famous Manton Estate in the UK under the guidance of trainer Brian Meehan. Former champion jockey Michael Kinane selects the horses in the Northern Hemisphere. Following their purchase at the yearling sales, the horses are given some time in the paddock before they are educated and then gelded,” Rounsefell explained to TDN AusNZ.
“They will then have multiple preparations of work in the stables, jumping out of the barriers and getting used to all the various aspects that they will encounter when they go into training in Hong Kong. The horses are assessed by Tim and Brian and if their ability and soundness meet the required standard and they pass all the vetting, they will go to Hong Kong for the International Sale.”
It is no secret that the Hong Kong Jockey Club has a strong ethos on vetting and ensuring a horse is suitable to race in Hong Kong.
“The horses presented at the sale have gone through stringent vetting as yearlings to meet the highest standards set by the Hong Kong Jockey Club,” Rounsefell said.
“The horses presented at the sale have gone through stringent vetting as yearlings to meet the highest standards set by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.” - Craig Rounsefell
“Following their education at the track, where they are taught to become racehorses, they are then vetted again before they board the flight to Hong Kong.
“Once they complete quarantine, they spend a few weeks acclimatising to their new surroundings before they are breezed up down the Sha Tin straight and following this, they will go through the stringent veterinary tests again (x-rays, scope, tendon scans, physicals, etc.) before they are presented at the International Sale,” he told TDN AusNZ.
“Hong Kong Jockey Club trainers and owners have the opportunity to inspect the horses at Sha Tin in the week leading up to the sale and have access to all their veterinary records, in line with the high level of transparency the HKJC is known for.”
Rounsefell is looking forward to the 2023 edition of the sale as it will be the first with no COVID restrictions.
The Hong Kong International Sale kicks off on Friday night | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday and have been attending race meetings and morning stables to be on hand to speak with the various trainers and Hong Kong Jockey Club owners regarding the horses I purchased for the sale. Danny Rolston is in incharge of the Hong Kong International Sale and has a massive job coordinating the event which this year is expected to be a packed house following the end of the COVID restrictions. The sale is on Friday night in the Sha Tin paddock with Australian Clint Donovan in the rostrum.”
Classy graduates
The Hong Kong International Sale has had many stars hail from the catalogues complied. This season (2022/23), horses who sold through the sale have won 38 races, among them Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).
The Irish-bred 5-year-old gelding trained by C S Shum was crowned the Champion 4YO and Middle-Distance Horse in Hong Kong in 2021/22.
Romantic Warrior (Ire) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Romantic Warrior has won 10 races from 1200 to 2000 metres, including the G1 Hong Kong Cup, the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup twice and the Listed Hong Kong Derby.
Romantic Warrior was initially sourced from the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale before he was sold at the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale for HK$4.8 million (AU$913,000) to Peter Lau Pak Fai.
The courageous Good Ba Ba (USA) (Lear Fan {USA}), who would retire with 16 victories to his name, was purchased at this sale for HK$1.7 million (AU$325,500).
Good Ba Ba (USA) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
While the enigmatic but brilliant Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}) initially sold at the 2014 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, was then offered at the 2016 Hong Kong International Sale knocked down to Din Kerm for HK$6 million (AU$1.1 million). The son of Shamardal (USA) would be crowned the Champion Stayer in Hong Kong in 2017/18 and eventually retire to Living Legends in Melbourne, Australia.
Eighteen thoroughbreds have been catalogued for this year’s sale. Australia will be represented by eight lots and New Zealand three lots.
While there are five lots born in Great Britain, one French-bred and one South African-bred to round out the catalogue.
In 2022, the sale-topper of the Hong Kong International Sale was a son of Deep Field from the More Than Ready (USA) mare Bousquet who sold for HK$7.8 million (AU$1.4 million) by Yue Yan Hing and has subsequently been named Denfield.
Denfield, the sale-topper at the 2022 Hong Kong International Sale, sold for HK$7.8 million (AU$1.4 million) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased Denfield for $550,000 from the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Quality thoroughbreds on offer
The most expensive 3-year-old sourced from Australia is Lot 3, a bay gelding by the Champion Sire I Am Invincible.
The gelding is the fourth foal from the Pivotal (GB) mare Solar Moon (GB). She has already been represented by a winner in Hong Kong. Solar Moon is a three-quarter sister to Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farrh {GB}) who won the G3 Henry II S. at Sandown and was placed in the G1 The Derby at Epsom Downs and the G1 Ascot Gold Cup.
Lot 3 was purchased for $700,000 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club from the draft of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Gallery: Some of the Australian-bred lots on offer at the Hong Kong International Sale, images courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Champion, Widden Stud-based Zoustar, will be represented by Lot 13, a chestnut gelding from the General Nediym mare Fortune Of War. She was a winner over 1200 metres, placed in the Listed Streets Ice Cream S. She has produced the Group 3-placed Spoils (Snitzel).
Lot 13 hails from the family of several stakes winners, including the G2 Let’s Elope S. victress Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau).
The Hong Kong Jockey Club secured Lot 13 for $550,000 from the draft of Edinburgh Park at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Among the New Zealand-bred lots represented include a NZ$700,000 gelding by the New Zealand multiple Champion Sire Savabeel, who the Hong Kong Jockey Club bought from the draft of Cambridge Stud at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
The son of Savabeel is catalogued as Lot 9 on Friday. The brown gelding is from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Lovetessa (NZ). She was placed in the G3 Eulogy S. Lovetessa is a half-sister to Queen Of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel), the Joint New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year, in 2018/19.
Other quality Australasian sires represented include the late Tavistock (NZ), Pierro, Written Tycoon and Per Incanto (USA).
