Yulong

Globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) will skip next week's G1 Melbourne Cup and instead target the G1 Champions Stakes during the Australian autumn, Yulong's Sam Fairgray revealed on Wednesday. A title defence of the G1 Cox Plate is also in the offing for next October. Originally a 5,000gns Tattersalls December yearling purchase, the bay would go on to take the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes before changing hands for 2,700,000gns at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Now racing for Yusheng Zhang's Yulong in Australia,...

Former American shuttle sire Justify sired the top pair of lots during Tuesday's Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses-in-Training Sale. A colt (lot 76) out of Port Augusta (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}) made A$700,000 on the bid of Yulong. Hong Kong's Lok Lor was the underbidder. Consigned by KO Racing, the bay was a A$300,000 graduate of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was prepared by Kenmore Lodge for this trip back through the ring. "He was a pretty easy horse to prepare," Kenmore's Kellie Bond said. "He had so...

By Kristen Manning, courtesy of The Thoroughbred Report Buyers from across Australia and Asia showed up in force at Tuesday's Inglis Ready2Race Sale, setting a record-breaking price and surpassing last year's key statistics. Despite the lingering impact of racing closures in Singapore and Macau, the sale bounced back with fierce competition, delivering outstanding results. "I never imagined, while finalizing the catalogue and conducting inspections, that we'd be celebrating these achievements by the end of the day," said an elated Sebastian Hutch, reflecting on the remarkable success of the sale. "It...

A colt by Dubawi (Ire), the first foal out of the G1 Prix de Royallieu heroine Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), became the fourth seven-figure lot of Wednesday's session at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when selling online to Yulong for 1,100,000gns. Lot 268 was consigned by Watership Down Stud and is out of the former Gosden trainee who also won the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes. Loving Dream is in turn out of the Listed winner Kissable (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) whose other progeny include the GII Pennine...

Champion Imperatriz (Aus) will be covered by Pierata (Aus) this season, Yulong announced on Thursday. The champion mare smashed records when she sold for A$6.6 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast earlier this year. The 10-time Group 1 winning daughter of I Am Invincible (Aus) was offered for sale by New Zealand-based Te Akau Racing. In selling for A$6.6 million to Zhijun Zhao, Imperatriz broke the record as the highest-priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere. Pierata's first crop are 3-year-olds...

The Goodman family's Mt. Brilliant Farm went to A$1-million (US$667,900) for a Wootton Bassett (GB) half-sister to the Hong Kong star Golden Sixty (Medaglia d'Oro) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale Tuesday. "We love the filly, she's got a beautiful pedigree and she's by Wootton Bassett. It doesn't come any better than that and we are thrilled," said Hutton Goodman. The operation is no stranger to the Australian industry with several mares located in the Hunter Valley. "It is hard to buy yearlings like her and she...

In a move that further illustrates the global prowess of the operation, Yulong and partner Zhijun Zhao landed 10-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) for a record A$6.6m (€4,039,810) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. It was Yulong (and Zhijun Zhao) that saw off the attention of Coolmore for the superstar racemare with the new connections of Imperatriz revealing that the mare would not race on but mating plans were yet to be confirmed. "We don't really have any plans just at this moment, because...

Dual Group 1 winner Panthalassa (Jpn) will shuttle to Yulong in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season later this year. Trained in Japan by Yoshito Yahagi, Panthalassa won seven of his 27 starts and was a familiar name on the international stage, demonstrating rare versatility in winning the 2022 G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan--when dead-heating with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})--and the 2023 G1 Saudi Cup on the Riyadh dirt. The son of Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) brought the curtain down on his career in a retirement ceremony at Nakayama...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry DEAUVILLE, France -- The sales at Arqana this year have largely retained their momentum, but the company was not immune to the retraction that has been present across the market for mares and foals this winter. With the clearance rate being lowered to 71% from the 78% of 2022, the turnover fell by 20% to €36,467,000, and the average was down by 7% to €227,919.  Four millionaire fillies and mares featured in the opening session, compared to seven last year, but the one sector...

Who is Lucky Vega? From Monday to Friday, he bases himself at the Irish National Stud, having retired there off the back of a successful career on the track where he won a Group 1 for trainer Jessica Harrington. A quick scan through the results at any of the big sales either side of the Irish Sea recently and you will see that Lucky Vega (Ire) has been keeping himself busy upon his retirement, with his name featuring alongside some of the more select lots.  Lucky Vega, of course, is...

Billed as the star attraction of the Goffs November Foal Sale, the brother to Ghaiyyath (Ire) did not disappoint when selling to powerhouse owner Zhang Yuesheng under the banner of Lucky Vega for €700,000. Bred and consigned by legendary trainer Dermot Weld's farm Springbank Way Stud, the Dubawi (Ire) colt (lot 767) boasts one of the most coveted pedigrees in the book being a brother to champion older horse and exciting first-season sire Ghaiyyath. He is out of the trainer's own blue hen Nightime (Ire), reported to be happily in...

Almost the last horse in the ring on Wednesday, Springbank Way Stud's lot 767, a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), was knocked down for €700,000 online by Lucky Vega, the current buying arm of Yulong's Yuesheng Zhang, to top the third session of the Goffs November Foal Sale. Also a half-brother to GI Man o'War S. victress Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the colt is from the family of champion Caumshinaun (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), being out of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Ire)...