News

G2 double at Sha Tin for emerging stars

19th Nov 2023

Exciting pair Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) and Straight Arron (Fastnet Rock) cemented their claims as G1 winners-in-waiting with impressive victories in G2 company at Sha Tin this evening.

Beauty Eternal (pictured) was a revelation during his 4YO season in 2022/23 - winning seven times, including a pair of G3 wins and a placing in the Hong Kong Derby - but today’s win in the G2 Jockey Club Mile was a career best.

Always travelling strongly behind the hot early tempo, Beauty Eternal cruised past favourite and reigning G1 Hong Kong Mile champion California Spangle midway down the straight and bounded to a decisive lead.

Despite getting tired in the closing stages, the John Size trainee did enough to hold a narrow margin over Beauty Joy at the line, with last season’s Hong Kong Derby winner Voyage Bubble in third.

Both the first and third home are graduates of the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, with Beauty Eternal purchased by John Foote Bloodstock for $90,000 from the draft of Fernrigg Farm, who offered him on behalf of breeder Peter Raftopoulos.

The success of Beauty Eternal, who races in the famous ‘Beauty’ silks of owner Patrick Kwok, has come as no surprise to Fernrigg’s Rae Louise Kelly, who felt the chestnut was always destined for success.

“He was a very nice colt and was well found at the sale, but he wasn’t an early horse and was going to need a bit of time,” Kelly said.

“A few interested parties were guarded on his pedigree, but of course Starspangledbanner’s fortunes have soared since then and it’s a great compliment to any horse when an esteemed judge like John Foote puts his hand up to bid.

“I understand they are going to target the G1 Mile at the International meeting next month with him which is exciting and hopefully he can become another G1 winner to have come through our sales drafts.’’

Fernrigg Farm will offer a draft of eight yearlings at the Classic Sale in 2024 including colts by the likes of Capitalist, Tassort, Farnan, Tagaloa and King’s Legacy.

The Classic catalogue will officially be released Monday morning.

“I am pleased with our Classic draft, it’s a nice group of horses and the Capitalist colt in particular is a very good colt that we are excited to be bringing to the sale,’’ Kelly added.

The 5YO Straight Arron (Fastnet Rock) arrived in Hong Kong at the end of his 3YO season with a big reputation having won the G3 Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick for Chris Waller.

Fifth in the Hong Kong Derby won by Voyage Bubble, he rounded out his 4YO season with a G3 win in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup and a 4^th in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup.

However it is this season that he has started to give a truer demonstration of his talent and he was another to produce a career best in winning the G2 Jockey Club Cup over 2000m.

The Caspar Fownes trainee was ridden patiently by Vincent Ho but could be sighted travelling kindly a long way from home, before producing a sustained run down the outside to wear down the leaders and win going away by 0.8 lengths.

Straight Arron, who was purchased for $270,000 by Chris Waller Racing from the draft of Torryburn Stud at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, is another likely to target the famous Hong Kong International meeting with both the G1 Hong Kong Cup and the G1 Hong Kong Vase as options.

“He won like a very good horse tonight and I hope they can win a G1 with him,” Torryburn’s Brett Cornish said.

“It’s always been the case that he has shown above average ability and he really looks to have settled into life in Hong Kong now, so the International meeting and some of the bigger races next year look obvious targets for him.

“Imperial Lass has been a very good mare for us and we have got a spectacular Wootton Bassett filly out of her going to Easter next year which is exciting.”

Torryburn will offer a draft of 11 yearlings for the Classic Yearling Sale in February.

The success of both Beauty Eternal and Straight Arron continues an incredible run in Hong Kong this season for Inglis graduates which has seen them win 10 races run at Class 2 or above, double the number won by graduates of the next best Australasian auction house.