New Zealand’s ‘Hong Kong Warrior’ Crowned Champion Sprinter
13 July 2015
The New Zealand flag flew high as Karaka graduate Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins) was crowned Champion Sprinter at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Champion Awards on Friday night.
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Aerovelocity (NZ) winning the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. |
The son of Pins received recognition for his three Group 1 winning performances in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint, the Takamatsnomiya Kinen in Japan and the Krisflyer International Sprint in Singapore.
Sunday was the last meeting in Hong Kong for the 2014/15 season, the season where Aerovelocity claimed two legs of the 2015 Global Sprint Challenge. In a 10-race Series, the six-year-old gelding took victory in the Group 1 Takamatsnomiya Kinen in Japan and Singapore’s Group 1 Krisflyer International Sprint, leaving himself to win just one more leg to claim the US$1 million bonus.
Aerovelocity has three chances left to secure the Sprint Challenge bonus, with his most likely appearances to be in Japan’s Group 1 Sprinters Stakes on 4 October and, after winning the 2014 edition of the race, the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint on 13 December, while the Group 1 Darley Classic held in Australia’s Flemington Racecourse, on 7 November, is also part of the Series.
Purchased by trainer Paul O’Sullivan for $120,000 at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale from Windsor Park Stud, Aerovelocity, now owned by Daniel Yeung Ngai, has earned over NZ$4.8 million in prizemoney from his total of 10 wins from 18 starts.
Past winners of Hong Kong’s Champion Sprinter award include Little Bridge (NZ) (Faltaat), a graduate of Karaka’s 2007 National Weanling Sale.
A fellow son of Pins was also honoured on the night with Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins), another a Karaka graduate, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his great contribution to Hong Kong Racing. The two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year retired this season as the winner of 13 races including the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.
Trained by Tony Millard, Ambitious Dragon won at Group 1 or Hong Kong Group 1 level on seven occasions. Along with two Hong Kong Horse of the Year titles, he was named Champion Middle Distance Horse twice and Champion Miler twice.