A select group of 25 horses is set to breeze at Sha Tin Racecourse Saturday ahead of next Friday evening's Hong Kong International Sale.
All bar one are 3-year-old geldings purchased at yearling sales in England, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand by the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Mark Richards, who is executive manager of the International Sale. The exception is lot 19, the 2-year-old Manhattan Rain (Aus) colt who is a half-brother to Wandjina (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}). The G1 Australian Guineas winner is now standing at Newgate Stud in the Hunter Valley.
“When we bought him, Wandjina wasn't a Group 1 winner, so that all helps,” said Richards of the A$700,000 purchase from last year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. “He's quite forward and he's still a full horse so whoever buys him can make the decision about his future stallion potential.”
Fastnet Rock (Aus) is the best represented among the stallions with four geldings in the catalogue–two Australian-breds and two bought in Europe. The quartet includes lot 3, who is out of Tashzara (Ire), an Intikhab half-sister to top-class miler Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and was bought for 180,000gns at Tattersalls in 2014.
Two sons of O'Reilly (NZ) feature, including a brother to the champion New Zealand 3-year-old Alamosa (NZ), who is catalogued as lot 4.
Shamardal's prowess has been well advertised in Hong Kong by his high-flying son Able Friend (Aus), and a German-bred 3-year-old by the Darley sire bought at Arqana's August Sale for €180,000 is slated as lot 14. Out of the listed winner Nina Celebre (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), the gelding's second and third dams are both winners of the G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks).
Richards highlighted the sole representative of Showcasing (GB) in the catalogue (lot 16), a full-brother to the James Cassidy-trained dual Grade II winner Prize Exhibit (GB).
“Prize Exhibit had won one race when we bought this horse as a yearling but then she went to America and has won three graded stakes, which is a really nice update,” he commented.
Tied into the BMW Hong Kong Derby meeting, which is set to be run on Sunday, Mar. 20, the sale has moved from its traditional Saturday morning slot at Sha Tin to Friday evening.
“We've changed the format slightly this year,” Richards explained. “We used to run the sale in two parts but we wanted to give people as much time as possible so we're holding it on Friday evening, similar to the Arc Sale and the Saturday evening of Magic Millions. It will be under lights with supper and drinks–hopefully it will be the stars under the stars.”
The breezes can be viewed on the HKJC website.
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