NZ Dominates Hong Kong Opening Meeting

New Zealand has launched into the new Hong Kong season in fine fashion, with kiwi gallopers and Karaka graduates together winning seven of ten races on the card at the first meeting of the new season at Sha Tin.

In the very first event of the 2011 season, New Zealand five-year-old Planet (NZ) (Gold Mine x Fairy Floss) got the season off to a winning start for the kiwis by taking the Class 5 Tim Mei Handicap (1200m) for trainer Danny Shum, the first win of Planet's career in Hong Kong.

That win was followed by three more in succession for New Zealand. In Race 2 it was Namjong Hunter (NZ) (Bertolini x Regal Huntress) who brought up his third career win in the Class 5 Tim Wa Handicap (1400m) for Almond Lee, before Joy and Fun (NZ) stepped up to take the Class 1 feature in the next on the card.

The HK$1.8m HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (1200m) at Race 3 saw the Dubai Group 3 Meydan Al Quoz Sprint winner Joy and Fun (NZ) (Cullen x Gin Player) make a successful return to the track after a successful five seasons in Hong Kong for Derek Cruz.

Holding off last season's HK-3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup winner Little Bridge (NZ) (Faltaat), Joy and Fun took the Class 1 event by a clear one-and-three-quarter-lengths.

The win was the first for the seasoned sprinter since his career-threatening injury in June last year at Royal Ascot. Cruz says this season will be the last his fans see of Joy and Fun, but not before a final tilt at the feature international sprint races later in the season, starting with the Cathay Pacific International Sprint in December.

The feature victory was followed by a fourth New Zealand win when the NZ$300,000 purchase, Victory Mascot (NZ) (Encosta de Lago x Flushed), won the Class 4 Tamar Handicap (1600m) by a length and a quarter. Bought by Michael Stedman Bloodstock, the six-time winner is trained by Caspar Fownes for owner See Wai Keung.

In the last race on the card the blue-blood Champagne Days (ex Petta Gaye) made it a winning double for the champion sire Encosta de Lago with a good win in the Class 3 Garden Road Handicap (1400m). A $300,000 yearling, Champagne Days was purchased by Magnus Equine from Curraghmore Stud at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale.

New Zealand also claimed victories by Master Key (NZ) (Storm Creek) and Smart Giant (NZ) (Pins) in Races 6 and 7 respectively.

In a brilliant 2010/11 season, New Zealand Bloodstock was the leading source of stakes winners to Hong Kong with nine individual black-type wins.

New Zealand Bloodstock was also only matched by one other sale company in the world for the number of International Group 1 winners and wins in the region, with Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins x Golden Gamble) and Champion Miler Beauty Flash (NZ) (Golan x Wychwood Rose).