Ambitious Dragon (NZ) Officially Among Best in the World

Recently crowned Hong Kong Champion Miler Ambitious Dragon (NZ) has been ranked inside the top ten racehorses in the world in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

The gallant kiwi campaigner Ambitious Dragon (Pins) is rated seventh-equal on the list for the period 1 December 2012 to 14 July 2013.

This season saw Ambitious Dragon take out three races in Hong Kong, with his greatest achievement coming in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at the Hong Kong International meeting on 9 December for trainer Tony Millard.

Ambitious Dragon winning the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile. Photo Courtesy of HKJC

The Hong Kong Mile victory showed his world class abilities as he flew home from near last to beat a supreme field of international horses. He was settled well back in the field and as the leaders entered the straight and with many lengths to make up, he showed an incredible turn of foot to charge past the field to win.

Ambitious Dragon had been beaten at his previous start by fellow NZB graduate Glorious Days (Hussonet), but this time chased him down to win by three-quarters of a length.

Tony Millard was full of praise for the horse after his captivating win.

“He's just a super champion and he can win over any distance,” commented Millard. “When I saw him picking them up I thought I hope he does not flatten out but they had gone a good lick so they were stopping.”

The win was made even more impressive as he was in doubt of even taking his place in the field the day before.

“The last 24 hours were trying and I really must thank my staff,” said Millard right after the race. “Up to 11pm last night they were still walking the horse and we brought him out this morning and he seemed to improve every hour. It is a great reflection on the horse that he is.”

Ambitious Dagon had earlier in the season won the HK-2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) when beating Glorious Days, his nemesis throughout the season. Ambitious Dragon once again got the better of Glorious Days on the big stage as he powered to a win in the HK-1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) in March this year.

Ambitious Dragon is joined in seventh place on the Longines list by fellow Hong Kong gallop Military Attack, the horse who took this year’s Hong Kong Horse of the Year crown after Ambitious Dragon’s two-year reign. Others rated alongside Ambitious Dragon are all Group 1 winners of the best form in the world and include Al Kazeem, Dawn Approach, Farhh, Gold Ship and St Nicholas Abbey.

Black Caviar, the unbeaten champion mare of Australia, was rated six points ahead of Ambitious Dragon to sit alone at the top of the rankings.

Bred by E P Lowry, Ambitious Dragon was offered by Belvedere Farm at the 2008 Karaka Select Sale where he was passed in. He was subsequently secured by current owners Johnson & Anderson Lam for whom the six-year-old has now won in excess of HK$57 million.

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