The Australian-bred stallion Pins (Aus) (Snippets {Aus}) has long been well-received in Hong Kong, with the likes of Hong Kong Derby winner and Sunday's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee S. contestant and one-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and reigning G1 Hong Kong Sprint hero Aerovelocity (NZ) flying the flag over the last several seasons. The stallion proved to be in demand during Saturday's Hong Kong International Sale in the Sha Tin parade ring, as a pair of offerings occupied two of the top three spots when all was said and done.
Lot 5, purchased by Hong Kong Jockey Club officials for NZ$260,000 out of the 2014 NZB Premier Yearling Sale in Karaka, proved the session's dearest lot at HK$7 million (US$901,365) and was purchased by Alan Cheng, founder of Kin Sang Chemical Limited, with headquarters in Hong Kong. The Aug. 25 foal is a gelded son of Savamour (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) and is bred on the same Sir Tristram cross responsible for the aforementioned Aerovelocity. Lot 5 hails from the extended female family of champion Nadeem (Aus), sire of G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Sterling City (Aus).
American-bred mares were responsible for two of the top six sellers, including lot 9, a New Zealand-bred son of Darley shuttler Exceed and Excel (Aus) who was sold for HK$5.5 million (US$708,215). By the sire of last year's Hong Kong-based G1 Al Quoz Sprint hero Amber Sky (Aus), the Australian-bred bay is a son of Country Mayo (Grand Slam) and was snapped up by the HKJC for NZ$300,000 at the NZB Premier Sale. His dam, County Mayo (Grand Slam), was a $16,000 purchase by Vin Cox Bloodstock at the 2008 Keeneland January sale. Pretty Proud (Mr. Greeley), a full-sister to GISW Whywhywhy, was the dam of a gelded son of Encosta de Lago (Aus), who fetched HK$4.7 million (US$605,202) from Eddie Junior Yau.
For 24 horses sold, turnover totaled HK$94.9 million (US$12,219,933). The average of HK$3,954,167 (US$509,164) represented a 19.8% bump over last year's March sale, while the median of HK$3.9 million (US$502,189) was a 30% improvement over 2014.
This marked the first time the HKIS was consolidated into a single March sale, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Bill Nader pronounced himself pleased with the activity.
“Overall we are very pleased with the results today,” said Nader, the HKJC's executive director of racing. “I think the buyers left satisfied with the depth of the catalogue and the choices they had. This year we went back to just having one sale and in having one sale we were able to offer 24 horses, which we believe is a good number for us. Members had really good horses to select from and that was clear in the prices, which were pretty steady throughout the sale.”
Previous graduates of the HKIS include The Duke (Aus) (Danehill) and Keeneland sales grad Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan), who between them won four runnings of the G1 Hong Kong Mile between 2006 and 2009.
Click here for the full results.
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