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Easter Graduate Continues Unbeaten Run For Australian-Breds

14th Dec 2008

The Hong Kong Sprint has been the domain of Australian-bred horses since its inception in 1999 and Inglis Easter graduate Inspiration made it a perfect 10 when scoring an upset win in the Group 1 1200m event at Sha Tin today.

The Australian Inglis Easter Sale was the source of the inaugural HK Sprint winner Fairy King Prawn ($170,000 1997 Easter, Danehill-Twiglet), so it was fitting that the same sale should provide the winner of the 10^th running today.

Of the Hong Kong Sprint winners sold at public auction, all have been Inglis graduates.

Inspiration joins the aforementioned Fairy King Prawn, dual winner Silent Witness ($55,000 2001 Classic) and last year’s winner Sacred Kingdom ($200,000 2005 Premier).

The John Moore trained INSPIRATION ($420,000 2005 Easter, 5g Flying Spur-La Bamba), who was secured from Easter by Gary Moore Racing, was sent out one of the outsiders in the prestigious event, but sprinted quickly soon after straightening and was able to withstand the challenges of Green Birdie and the hot favourite Apache Cat.

Inspiration’s dam La Bamba, a half-sister to the G1 winners Masked Party and Festal, has been a regular fixture at recent Easter sales.

The Last Tycoon mare’s previous two stakes winners, Provence ($60,000 in 2003) and Lucky Unicorn ($300,000 in 2004,) were also Easter graduates. Both were by Redoute’s Choice and a full-brother to that duo made $1.6million at last year’s Easter Sale.

A Snitzel colt from the mare is among entries for the 2009 Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Like Inspiration, the colt is being prepared for sale by Arrowfield Stud.

The Group 1 Hong Kong International Sprint caps a memorable year for graduates of Inglis sales.

Inspiration’s win was the 30th Group 1 win for graduates this year and he becomes the 22nd individual G1 winner for Inglis in 2008.