News

Rising Asian Racetrack Stars

25th Jun 2012

Australian-bred and Inglis sold gallopers have not just been the talking point at Royal Ascot in the last week, but also all across Asia, with Group 1 winners in Malaysia and Macau along with rising stars in Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea.

Speed Baby ($280,000 2008 Easter, 5g Fastnet Rock-Twisted Heart) recorded a new 2000m long course track record at the Selangor Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday 17 June when winning the Malaysia Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor in 1:59.50. Replay of the race can be viewed HERE

Bred by Ron Dufficy and Tim Hughes, the Steve Burridge trained galloper was purchased by Malaysian based owner Mr CP Beh from Yarraman Park Stud’s draft at Easter for $280,000. Speed Baby had already recorded Group 1 wins in Malaysia and Singapore before his latest victory, which took his career prizemoney earnings to the equivalent of A$737,275 thanks to eight wins from 22 starts.

Victory by the son of Fastnet Rock in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor gave Australian-bred and Inglis sold gallopers a clean sweep of the Selangor Turf Club’s Triple Crown Series for 2012, following the wins of Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduates Mighty Triple Ace and Power Of Khan in the Tunku Gold Cup (1200m) and Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) respectively earlier this year.

Fellow Inglis graduate Elderly Paradise ($21,000 2009 Premier, 4g Danewin-Kali Smytzer) also romped away with the third leg of Macau’s triple crown on Saturday 23 June, the Macau Gold Cup over 1800m. Replay of the event from Taipa racecourse can be viewed HERE

Bred by Fowlston Bloodstock, Classic Park Bloodstock Pty Ltd & Mr K Williams, the four-year-old son of Danewin was sold for $21,000 from the draft of Glentree Downs at Melbourne Premier in 2009.

Trained by M.C.Tam and raced by Wong Yun Sang, Choi Yuet Wing & Ng Kang So, Elderly Paradise defeated Leun Yat Forever by five and a half lengths, taking his racetrack earnings past M$3,161,900 (=A$395,000) care of eight wins from 14 starts, including the Macau Derby in April.

On Sunday in Hong Kong exciting juvenile Amber Sky ($80,000 2011 Easter, 2g Exceed And Excel-Truly Wicked) treated his older rivals with contempt when bolting away to an impressive four length win in the HKJC Gallop Hcp over 1000m in a slick 55.99seconds. Replay of the Class 3 event from Sha Tin can be viewed HERE

Bred by O E & D R Pope Pty Ltd, the Exceed And Excel two-year-old was purchased by his trainer Ricky Yiu for $80,000 at Easter and is now three from three in Hong Kong. Jockey Mark du Plessis was simply blown away by the youngster’s last start performance.

“I hate saying this about horses - but that is the best two-year-old I have ever ridden," de Plessis said after Sunday’s dominant performance.

The same day in Korea Nano City ($16,000 2010 Autumn, 3g King of Roses-Meribel) made it four wins from eight starts with a five length triumph in Seoul. Giving all his older Foreign Class 2 competitors weight, the improving three-year-old made light work of his impost over the 1800m journey on Sunday. Replay of Race 9 from Seoul on 24 June can be found HERE – Nano City is number 3 in yellow and red silks.

Sold by his breeder, Burnewang North Pastoral, at Melbourne Autumn the son of King Of Roses has earned his buyer, Kim Yon Ho, 147,386,000 KRW (=A$126,500) in his short career so far.

While in Singapore Holy Empire ($55,000 2011 Premier, 2c Holy Roman Emperor-Dushanbe) came with a rush over the last 200m in the Open 2YO event at Kranji on Friday night, to defeat his more experienced rivals. Replay of the debutant’s win can be viewed HERE

The juvenile colt was bred by Mrs NV Calvert and sold to trainer Shane Baertschiger from Kornong Stud Farm’s draft at Melbourne Premier. Holy Empire will be aimed at the Singapore Group 3 Juvenile Championship on July 29.

“It is fantastic to see so many of our clients throughout Asia experiencing great success with racehorses purchased from Inglis Select Yearling Sales,” said Inglis Asia Representative Peter Twomey.

“We certainly work hard throughout the year singing the praises of our vendors, and buyers from all over Asia definitely recognise the considerable versatility and durability bred into the stock that is offered at our sales.

“The new initiatives to Inglis’ Select Yearling Sales Series for 2013 have been met with great support from up here and I look forward to assisting new and existing buyers down to the sales in the coming twelve months,” Twomey said from Inglis’ Asia office in Singapore.

Picture: Steve Burridge (trainer), CP Beh (owner) & Noel Callow (jockey) after Speed Baby’s Malaysia Group 1 victory