Cover image courtesy of Inglis
1. Best value stallion in the country?
“Brutal ($16,500) at Newgate is a value option for breeders looking at aiming one up to Asia. Three winners from his first five runners in Hong Kong including the impressive Super Strong Kid.
Brutal (NZ) | Standing at Newgate Farm
“His sire O'Reilly was well renown for producing tough, sound racehorses that improved with age, all traits that Hong Kong buyers crave, and Brutal is off to a positive start along the same lines.”
2. Most exciting new stallion for 2025?
“I like what Switzerland did on the racetrack as both a 2-year-old and 3-year-old sprinter - racing against and beating the best of his generation, as well as how he was then tested at weight-for-age level.
“He's beautifully bred, has a great physique, his peak performance came on a Good 3 track in quick time, and we know how lightning-fast Sha Tin is!.”
Switzerland | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
3. Breeding more, less, or the same as last year?
“About the same, with a mix of breed to race and bred to sell clients.”
4. Best breeder in the country?
“It's hard to ignore the line of Group 1 winners that Arrowfield produce year after year, however a smaller operation with a good name of producing top level colts and geldings is Torryburn, think Home Affairs, Hot King Prawn and current Hong Kong Horse of the Year Voyage Bubble.”
Torryburn Stud | Image courtesy of Torryburn Stud
5. Best judge of a weanling/yearling?
“John Foote and Merrick Staunton have been able to identify and select a constant high level of quality for David Price's client base in Hong Kong for many years, and they are rarely shopping at the top end."
"I've been lucky on occasion to beat them in the sale ring and ended up with some top level racehorses, but usually they are just as formidable at auction as their horses are on the racetrack; hard to get past.”
John Foote | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
6. Best pound-for-pound trainer?
“John Moore's ability to source and train horses from different jurisdictions to win at the elite level in Hong Kong was phenomenal to watch up close from 2008 to 2020. Moore's horses won 8 Horse of the Year titles during that period, including four winners of the country's most coveted race, the Hong Kong Derby."
"I know John took a lot of pride in his ability to patch up and win with transfers from other stables, however his exceptional procurement and management of big owners and their horses ensured his stable was on another level to his competitors when it came to Group 1 races.”
John Moore | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
7. Most talented young person you’ve come across recently?
“There's a young kid at Racing NSW I met a few months ago that wowed me with his passion, thirst for knowledge and talent. His bosses would shoot me if I named him because they really don't want him poached. They know who he is and it's great to have that level of talent coming through our industry.”
8. Redistribute prize money across races, or happy as is?
“Redistribute within reason. It's important to have aspirational races, however we've become a bit too top heavy with some to the detriment of grass roots racing which is being left behind with increases at a much slower rate.”
9. Tariff on imported horses - great idea or misguided protectionism?
“Neither. Too much protectionism could lead to a dilution of our gene pool and the quality of our own product. However, I'm not against a reasonable level of tariffs on imported horses, hopefully captured by the industry not just the government, in line with taxes and levies paid by local breeders that fund things like research and welfare initiatives.”
10. Your best mate in the business?
“My wife Georgia. She doesn't work in the industry so is always a fantastic independent sounding board to get out of racing and breeding's echo chamber, and a tremendous support as we have travelled the world together chasing my passion of bloodstock.”
