News

Fourth Group 1 For Champion Able Friend

3rd May 2015

Able Friend recorded his sixth straight stakes victory when taking out the Group 1 Hong Kong Champions Mile this afternoon, flowing on from the international success of fellow Inglis graduate The Conglomerate at Group 2 level in South Africa on Saturday.

The HK$14,000,000 Champions Mile today was Able Friend’s fourth at Group 1 level this season and again it was with consummate ease that the gelding won for trainer John Moore and jockey Joao Moreira.

Able Friend (Shamardal x Ponte Piccolo) settled in fifth position in the small five horse field and once balanced up down the long Sha Tin straight he never looked in danger, coasting to a one length victory over Rewarding Hero and Dan Excel.

Rated the world’s equal best of 2015, Able Friend was bred by Stuart Ramsey and sold from his Turangga Stud draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $550,000 to George Moore Bloodstock.

Owned by Dr & Mrs Cornel Li Fook Kwan, the champion son of Shamardal has won 11 of 16 starts in Hong Kong, including his last six in a row, for earnings in excess of HK$52 million (=A$8.5million).

Connections of Able Friend are now set to travel their champion to Royal Ascot in England next month for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over the gelding's favoured 1600m journey.

The Conglomerate (Lonhro x Republic Lass) continued the superiority of Australian bred and Inglis sold horses in South Africa this season when winning the Group 2 Greyville KRA Guineas (1600m).

The Joey Ramsden trained colt finished ahead of fellow Inglis Premier graduate Mac de Lago, with the only other Inglis graduate in the event, Anjaal, finishing fourth.

Amazingly Australian bred horses have won 23% of South Africa’s black-type races this season from only 3.6% of the racing population. They include Inglis stakes winners Majmu, Arcetri Pink, Mitraad, Killua Castle, Alboran Sea, Buckinghampshire, Wild Ash, Sensible Lover, Entisaar, Tamaanee and The Conglomerate.

The Conglomerate was a purchased for $160,000 from the draft of Tyreel Stud at the 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by JJ Van Der Linden (Global Bloodstock) and Derek Brugman (Mayfair Speculators).

By champion sire Lonhro from dual Group 1 winner Republic Lass, The Conglomerate is raced by Markus and Ingrid Jooste.