News

Premier Highlighted In Hong Kong

1st Feb 2010

The growing international influence of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale was further underlined yesterday, with graduates running the quinella in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1000m) in Hong Kong.

World Champion sprinter SACRED KINGDOM ($200,000 2005 Premier, 6g Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie) continued his resurgence in clocking a stunning time of 55.37seconds.

In winning the 14th race of his 22 start career, Sacred Kingdom took his earnings past the equivalent of $A5million.

In a triumph for Encosta De Lago and Premier graduates, Sacred Kingdom’s stablemate Ultra Fantasy ($30,000 2004 Premier) held on to secure second in a career best performance.

Trainer Ricky Yiu said Sacred Kingdom is now likely to embark on an international sprint campaign, with a possible return to Singapore for a tilt at a repeat win in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint. Dubai and Japan are other options following his next start in the Chairman's Sprint Prize.

The 2010 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale will be held at Oaklands from March 1-4, with 724 yearlings catalogued.

There are six yearlings by dual Champion Australian Sire Encosta de Lago, who also has 57 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket on April 6 to 8.

The catalogue and pedigree updates can be viewed online HERE

To view TVN’s Inglis Yearling Sale Preview Show click HERE

Premier graduates won 35 stakes races in Australia last season and the 2009-10 crop are on target to eclipse that mark, with 24 stakes wins to the end of January.

Caulfield Guineas winner Starspangledbanner has been one of the star performers in Australia this year and connections received a windfall last week when Coolmore gave a reported $10million for the colt, who was originally purchased by Troy Corstens Newmarc Bloodstock for just $120,000 from Makybe’s draft at the 2008 sale.