NZ Success at HKJC’s International Sale

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s December International Sale at Sha Tin on Saturday saw all three Karaka entries sold through the ring – including the half-brother to Ambitious Dragon by star sire High Chaparral.

The half-brother to Ambitious Dragon was sourced from Belvedere Farm’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$420,000 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to target this Sale. On Saturday, the colt was purchased by Ocean Park’s part-owner Andrew Wong, who was bidding with Ocean Park’s trainer Gary Hennessy, for HK$3,800,000 (NZ$590,000).

At Lot 3 was the Exceed and Excel gelding from Hurricane Mist - an imported Irish mare that hails from a rich French family, including the Group 1 Longchamp Prix Saint-Alary runner up Mare Nostrum - that was purchased by the HKJC from Haunui Farm for $140,000 at this year’s Karaka Premier Sale.

The two-year-old was purchased by Yit Lau Ying Lam Sandia for HK$3,000,000 (NZ$470,000).

The third lots sourced from Karaka was the Encosta de Lago gelding (ex Bennelong Belle) that was purchased by the HKJC from Cambridge Stud at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$440,000.

Hailing from the family of champion three-year-old Racing to Win (Encosta de Lago), he was sold at Lot 7 for HK$3,500,000 (NZ$545,000) after he breezed up on his own at Sha Tin in impressive fashion.

“Today was a break-even sale, which is a good thing – we’re not in this to make money on the Sale,” said the Club’s Executive Director of Racing William Nader. “We have another Hong Kong International Sale in March and that might have contributed to the fact that the prices were a little more reasonable today.”

The three Karaka graduates sold on Saturday all have siblings in the 2013 National Yearling Sales Series including a half-brother by Mastercraftsman to last night’s Hong Kong Mile winner Ambitious Dragon at Lot 164.

Lot 35 is a Zabeel filly out of Bennelong Belle presented by Cambridge Stud, while Haunui Farm will offer a half-sister to the Exceed and Excel gelding by exciting first season sire Mastercraftsman (ex  Hurricane Mist) at Lot 179.

The HKJC International Sale is now split into two sessions, one in March and one in December. In March this year New Zealand Bloodstock provided the highlight with a son of Fastnet Rock breaking the Sale's previous record price. The gelding from the Covetous mare Undercover, a half-sister to the stakes winner Ain't Seen Nothing (Nothin' Leica Dane) and from the family of Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success (Success Express) was knocked down to the bid of Chiu Yung for the record breaking price of HK$9 million (NZ$1.4 million). He had been purchased as a yearling by the Hong Kong Jockey Club from Ascot Farm at the 2011 Premier Sale for $300,000.