Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Impressively, six of the 12 internationally-rated Group 1 races in Hong Kong's 2023/24 racing season were won by Australian-bred horses. Following on from Part 1, we continue to highlight these Australian-bred Hong Kong stars.
Victor is a winner
A horse who really knows how to find the line is Victor The Winner (Toronado {Ire}) who has won seven of his 17 starts in Hong Kong. Before venturing to Japan where he was third in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, he won the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup.
Going to the lead with Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) not the best out of the gates, the Danny Shum-trained gelding was always travelling like the winner - Shum noting that “he is tough and very good in front.”
Bred by Adam Sangster and sold through the Collingrove Stud draft to Golden River Investments for $180,000 at the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Victor The Winner is out of the stakes placed Noetic (Cape Cross {Ire}) who has also by Toronado (Ire) produced the city winner Intellective.
Waikato Stud also had a Hong Kong horse to cheer on during the season, Nimble Nimbus (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) - who had already won five races - taking out the G3 Centenary Vase in early February.
Nimble Nimbus (NZ) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Trained by Ricky Yiu who purchased him for $100,000 from the Waikato draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Nimble Nimbus drew praise from Yiu who said that “he is an amazing horse - he never gets beaten far and is very consistent, no matter the distance.”
Nimble Nimbus is out of the metropolitan winner Marahau (NZ) (Pins), full sister to the Listed Counties Bowl winner Shandream (NZ).
Another nice Toronado
Exported to Hong Kong off an impressive winning debut in a Benalla maiden for the Jamie Edwards stable - racing then as Tex Mex, Helios Express (Toronado) won two local black-type races - the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile and the Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup - in February and March.
Seven times in the winner’s circle from his first 10 starts, Helios Express was bred by Chris Wells who sold him online (Inglis Digital) to Jamie Edwards for $10,000 as a yearling. He is out of the metropolitan placed three-time winner Paris Texas (Hinchinbrook) whose dam is the multiple city winner Hialeah Star (Luskin Star).
It was a significant win recorded by Beauty Joy (Sebring) in the G2 Chairman’s Trophy in early April - it being the 1500th for his star trainer Tony Cruz. He is the first locally born trainer to reach that milestone and the third with John Moore and John Size ahead of him.
Bred by Impressive Racing, Beauty Joy - racing originally as Talladega - raced four times in Western Australia where he was unbeaten under the care of Darren McAuliffe; in March 2020 taking out the Listed J.C Roberts S. before heading to Hong Kong where he has won another six races.
What a beauty
A three-time Group winner, Beauty Joy is out of the G3 Western Australian Oaks and three-time Listed winner Impressive Jeuney (Jeune {GB}) whose grandam Key Target (Serheed {USA}) won twice at Listed level.
Beauty Joy | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
It was an Australian trainer/Australian breeding combination when Invincible Sage (Thronum) won the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize in late April - the David Hall-trained 4-year-old too good for California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner).
“He has been progressive and he is just one of those horses where you are still defining where you think he is at,” Hall told the press after the race, adding that “he is only a little horse so you don’t sort of dream that high!”
Bred by Sun Bloodstock, Invincible Sage - a $200,000 Inglis Premier purchase for the Gathercole family - raced in Melbourne for Jerome Hunter as Thron Bone.
Invincible Sage | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Winning at Caulfield and Flemington at two, he was stakes placed before his relocation. The first stakes winner for his Group 2-winning sire, he is out of the city winner Thorsborne whose sire Hinchinbrook is a half-brother to Thronum’s sire Snitzel.
Exciting up and comers
Considered one of Hong Kong’s most exciting young horses, Galaxy Patch (Wandjina) ended his season with a bang taking out the G3 Lion Rock Trophy and the G3 Premier Plate in June.
Bred by Summerset Park Stud and sold by them to Will Clarken, Suman Hedge and David Jolly for $50,000 at the 2021 Adelaide Magic Millions, Galaxy Patch is described by his jockey Vincent Ho as “a future star” whilst his trainer Pierre Ng said “I just never know how good he will be, but he is definitely a top one.”
A half-brother to the stakes placed multiple city winners Comearoundsundown (Not A Single Doubt) and Creativity (Master Of Design), Galaxy Patch had just the one start in Adelaide - as Gulinga Spirit recording a Morphettville maiden victory in January last year.
Another up-and-comer is Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) whose seven starts have resulted in five wins and two seconds - the 3-year-old ending his season with a win in the G3 Sha Tin Vase early last month.
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He is really something to get out of bed for and look forward to training next year,” said David Hayes about the gelding who has been named Champion Griffen for the season.
Bred by Grandmoral Lodge Racing, he was part of the Lindsay Park stable in Victoria - as Mr Express winning a Flemington jump-out and a Moe trial. He hails from the same family as that team’s outstanding galloper Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars).
The last of the season’s Australian-bred stakes winners was Mugen (Deep Field) who, having run third in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize won by Invincible Sage, was able to win the G3 Premier Cup in early June.
“This horse has got a beautiful turn of foot,” jockey Karis Teetan said of the 5-year-old who raced twice in Melbourne for the Clinton McDonald stable - winning a Moonee Valley maiden in December 2022.
Bred by Catalina Pastoral, he was purchased by Hong Kong’s Upper Bloodstock for $160,000 at the 2020 Inglis Premier. He is out of the stakes-placed dual city winner Little Favours (Falvelon) whose grandam is the Group 2 mare Twining (Twig Moss {Fr}).
Australian stallions leading the way
His win was part of a great season for Deep Field who was able to secure his third consecutive leading sire title.
Those leading sire charts for Hong Kong show how well Australasian-bred stallions fare there - Deep Field leading the way with his 26 winners of 44 races from Starspangledbanner with his 11 winners of 19 races.
Also in the top 10 by earnings were Zoustar, Capitalist, Sweynesse and Wandjina and in the top 20 - Thronum, Written Tycoon, Swiss Ace, Sebring, Fastnet Rock, Epaulette and All Too Hard.
Deep Field | Image courtesy of Newgate
By winners Deep Field finished ahead of Zoustar (13 winners of 21 races) with Starspangledbanner, Capitalist, Fastnet Rock, Tavistock (NZ) and Swiss Ace also in the top 10.
Deep Field and Zoustar were first and third by numbers of wins followed by Capitalist and Starspangledbanner - Epaulette and Wandjina also in the top 10.
The stakes winner quinella went to Deep Field and Starspangledbanner with Zoustar, Sweynesse, Wandjina and Thronum having top 10 finishes in that regard whilst Starspangledbanner had the most number of stakes wins.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
Australasian-bred broodmare sires also did well; Hinchinbrook second by earnings and his sire Fastnet Rock third, whilst Savabeel and Pins were sixth and seventh.
Whizzing to victory
Another horse in Hong Kong from the start of his racing career is Whizz Kid (Shalaa {Ire}) who had won five races prior to his first stakes success in the G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy in early January.
“He has been a great horse for the stable,” said trainer Tony Cruz - describing the bay as “a healthy horse who has never been a headache. He is easy to train and as honest as you can ever get.”
Bred by Arrowfield Pastoral and Redbank, Whizz Kid is out of the two-time Canterbury winner Santa Rocks (Fastnet Rock) from the family of the successful stallion Harlan’s Holiday (USA).
Part of a good season for his retired sire Deep Field, Voyage Bubble is another good Hong Kong campaigner bred by Torryburn Stud. Sold to trainer Ricky Yiu for $380,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic, he won last year’s Hong Kong Derby and was again in good form early this year claiming the G1 Stewards Cup.
Voyage Bubble | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Described by Yiu as “a force to be reckoned with” who is “full of talent,” Voyage Bubble contested the G1 Yasuda Kinen won by fellow Hong Kong galloper Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in June but didn’t handle that way of going.
A six-time winner, he is out of the Randwick winner Raheights (Rahy {USA}) who has also produced the G3 PJ Bell S. winner Diddums (Snitzel) and the stakes-placed Brettan (Commands).
