New Zealand Bred Wins Hong Kong Debut

The New Zealand bred three year old Octa Lucky Star (Octagonal x Newport Beach) got his Hong Kong career off to a flying start with a comfortable win in yesterday's class 4 $HK570,000 Deauville Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin.

The Octagonal gelding defeated the British bred Mascot (Distant Relative x Total Truth) by one and � of a length, with the Irish horse Screaming Eagle (Danehill x Bold Flawless) a further one and � of a length back in third place.

The impeccably bred youngster, being by Octagonal from a Danehill mare, was the third highest priced weanling at the 2000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale where he was purchased by Tony Pike Bloodstock for NZ$48,000 from the draft of Cambridge Stud.

Other New Zealand breds to enjoy success in Hong Kong include classy four year old Gem of India (Defensive Play x Whakanui Heights), who ran second in the class 1 $HK1,600,000 Co-Tack Handicap (1400m) and the durable seven year old Universal Star (Marscay x Hula Song), third in the class 4 HK$570,000 Starlight Handicap (1400m).