Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Price Bloodstock celebrates 1000 Hong Kong wins
A double by Tony Cruz-trained He Was Me (Needs Further) and Chris So-trained Elite Golf (Frosted {USA}) at Sha Tin on Sunday brought up the milestone of 1000 wins in Hong Kong for David Price’s Price Bloodstock. Founded in 1997, the business buys yearlings in Australia and New Zealand, typically under $100,000, has them educated in Australia and imported as PPGs. Price thanked bloodstock agents John Foote and Merrick Staunton, and Australian trainer Patrick Payne.
“It’s one of those things that’s hard to get your head around, really. It’s something that went from an out-of-control hobby to something bigger and all of a sudden, 1000 winners,” Price told scmp.com.
“I’m proud of the way it’s played out. Long may it continue. The first year we bought five horses and the cheapest one got here and won, and the dearest one ended up in Tasmania. That was probably a lesson early that that’s the way it’s going to play out.
“I’m always very appreciative of the job the trainers do because really, I do my little bit and then step aside and watch and hope. We’ve had a great run with some great horses. I do a lot of this sitting in a seat coordinating with others and it’s turned from a hobby into something special.”
He Was Me won on debut at Swan Hill for Payne when named Arewethereyet, before heading to Hong Kong where he has added two more wins to his resume. John Foote Bloodstock bought him from Armidale Stud’s Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale for $75,000. A full brother to stakes-placed Our Long Sali, He Was Me is the final foal of Tycoon Sali (Last Tycoon {Ire}), a half-sister to Group 3 winner Bank Robber (Dash For Cash).
Elite Golf, a 3-year-old gelding, took his record to two wins from four starts. He won two trials in South Australia before heading to Hong Kong unraced. Merrick Staunton purchased him for $140,000 from Westbury Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He is the first foal of Split Not A Shock (Snitzel).
Apprentice Yeun continues her winning ways
Apprentice Nichola Yuen rode a double at Sha Tin, and now has ridden a winner at each of the three meetings she’s attended this season. She won on Ricky Yiu-trained stablemates Flashing Fighter (Written Tycoon) and Fortune Link (Capitalist).
Nichola Yuen | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“First of all, thank you so much to Ricky and Eric (Yiu), they give me so many opportunities and it is great to have my first double here in Sha Tin and especially for my boss,” Yuen told hkjc.com.
“I want to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Apprentices’ (Jockeys) School, Miss Amy Chan and Mr Felix Coetzee. They have given me great support, and I am very fortunate to be here in this on this very big stage and to have a great performance on good horses.”
Flashing Fighter was on debut and the 4-year-old gelding was bought privately after winning a trial in New Zealand. He is the third foal and first winner for Princess Belle (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) who is a three-time winning full sister to Group 1 winner Irish Fling (NZ).
Fortune Link, won a maiden in Victoria for Greg Eurell from six starts, and Sunday’s win was his debut outing in Hong Kong. He was sold by Tullyard at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale where Mattmartin Global paid $90,000. Fortune Link, a 4-year-old gelding, is a half-brother to stakes-placed Lunarsnit (Star Witness), out of Lunar Snitzel (Snitzel) who is a winning full sister to Group 3 winner Odyssey Moon.
Newnham takes the lead again
The battle for the trainer’s premiership this season will go down to the last meeting with Mark Newnham taking a one-win advantage after Crimson Flash (Showtime) won on Sunday. Caspar Fownes is second on 47 wins, with the rest of the table tight: David Hayes (42), Danny Shum (42), Francis Lui (41) and John Size (35).
Mark Newnham | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“It’ll come down to the last day – I have no doubt, because any one of the top five or six trainers can do what Caspar did the other day. We had a five-timer already, Francis looks like he’s got a really nice young group of horses too – any one of the top group could have three, four or five winners in a day and put themselves bang in contention. It’ll go right down to the end and it could be any one of us,” Newnham told scmp.com.
“It’s a good position to be in, but it’s testament to the hard work of my staff. We’ve got good systems in place, we’ve got nice owners and nice horses too. It’s a matter of just finding a system and routine that works, and we’ve got that – the results show it.”
Crimson Flash, who raced as He’s In Like Flynn in Australia, took his record to five wins in Hong Kong and one in Australia for earnings over HK$10.5 million (AU$1.9 million). He is one of two winners for winning mare Damselle (Domesday).
“He’s a good horse and he’s still improving – you could see when he first goes under pressure he tends to lift his head a little bit and it wasn’t until the last part of the race where he really let down well,” Newnham said.
“He’s still learning and is building a good record. He’s shown today that he’s capable around the bend at Sha Tin; he’s pretty versatile, he’s now won round the corner, up the straight and at Happy Valley, too.”
Doubles for Toronado and Snitzel
The victories of Fortune Link and Elite Golf gave Snitzel a double as a broodmare sire. Toronado (Ire) celebrated a double with Dennis Yip-trained debutant 3-year-old gelding Perfect One (Fr) and 4-year-old gelding Happy Boss.
Happy Boss, trained by David Eustace, took his record to two wins from five starts, all in Hong Kong. A HK$2.6 million (AU$473,000) graduate from the 2025 Hong Kong International Sale, Happy Boss took his earnings over HK$950,000 (AU$172,000).
Happy Boss was the fifth-top lot at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, costing the Hong Kong Jockey Club $420,000 from Cornerstone Stud’s draft. His dam, G3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes winner Art Series (Sebring) has one other winner, with two Toronado colts following Happy Boss, an unnamed 3-year-old and a yearling.
Perfect One, a Northern Hemisphere born 3-year-old gelding, was on debut. He was sold by Castillon at the Arqana November Yearling Sale for €7000 (AU$11,600) to Hyde Park Stud. His dam, Apple Chicha (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}) was a winner over 2100 metres in France and is the dam of 2024’s Champion 3YO Colt in Switzerland Muelheimer (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}).
