Familiar Sires Dot HK International Sale
Updated: July 21, 2015 at 3:05 pm
A total of 25 ready-to-run horses acquired by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at auction houses in Europe and Australasia are set to go under the hammer during Saturday’s Hong Kong International Sale to be held in the state-of-the-art parade ring at Sha Tin Racecourse. Conducted in previous years in conjunction with the Hong Kong International Races each December, officials at the Hong Kong Jockey Club added a March sale in 2013 to give horses extra time to acclimate and mature, as necessary. This event marks the first time all horses will be consolidated into a single March sale.
The HKJC has become increasingly aggressive in their purchases for this sale, and–as is often the case–the horses on offer are by established stallions that have been represented by high-class individuals down the years at Hong Kong’s two racetracks.
Designs On Rome (Ire) has ascended through the ranks to be one of the top horses in Hong Kong on the strength of three Group 1 victories, including the G1 Hong Kong Cup and G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup in the last couple of months. His sireHoly Roman Emperor (Ire), also responsible for GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship hero Rich Tapestry (Ire), is represented by lot 8, an Irish-bred son of Tralanza (Ire) (Traditionally).
The sire of 2014 G1 Al Quoz S. winner Amber Sky (Aus), Darley’s shuttler Exceed and Excel (Aus) (Aus) will be represented by a pair of offerings Saturday morning, including lot 9, a New Zealand-bred son of County Mayo (Grand Slam), who cost NZ$300,000 at the NZB Premier Sale in 2014. Coolmore’s pensioned Encosta de Lago (Aus) has been a successful sire down the years in Hong Kong, his champion son Sacred Kingdom (Aus) having won two renewals of the G1 Hong Kong Sprint. Lot 7, an A$295,000 graduate of the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale, is a son of Pretty Proud (Mr. Greeley), full-sister to U.S. Grade I winner Whywhywhy and a half to MGSW Spellbinder (Tale of the Cat).
Lot 1 could get the sale off on a high note. An A$375,000 acquisition out of the Magic Millions Gold Coast sale in early 2014, the Sept. 3 foal is out of a Giant’s Causeway half-sister to MGSW and MG1SP Shania Dane (Aus) (Danehill) and to Scintillation (Aus) (Danehill), a three-time domestic Group 1 winner in Hong Kong.
The Club’s most expensive yearling acquisition for this sale is lot 23, an A$400,000 from the 2013 Gold Coast Sale. The 3-year-old, produced by Elite Circle (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and is closely related to G2 Skyline S. winner Valentia (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) under the second dam.
The sale is set to begin Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Hong Kong time, with a live webcast available here. Click for the full catalogue and to the breeze-up videos.