News

Sky’s The Limit For Aussie Sprinter

26th Jan 2014

Australian bred and Inglis sold speedster Amber Sky had a successful Australia Day on Sunday. The four-year-old bolted away with the Hong Kong Group 1 Kent & Curwen Centenary Cup over 1000m at Sha Tin.

The win was the second Group 1 victory for Inglis Yearling Sales graduates in Hong Kong in as many Sunday’s following the Classic Mile victory of Able Friend eight days ago.

It hasn't just been in the sprinter-miler categories that Inglis graduates have excelled this season, with three of Australia’s most prestigious middle-distance and staying events falling to Shamus Award (2040m Cox Plate), Fawkner (2400m Caulfield Cup) and Polanski (2500m Victoria Derby)

Amber Sky (Exceed And Excel x Truly Wicked) bounded straight to the front in Hong Kong’s premier straight course event on Sunday and never gave any of his rivals a look in stopping the clock in a swift 55.86s.

Replay and result of the Kent & Curwen Centenary Cup can be viewed HERE

Bred by OE & DR Pope, Amber Sky was purchased by trainer Ricky Yiu for $80,000 from Rubiton Bloodstock draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Yiu headed to the Easter Sale to purchase a precocious sprinter and that is exactly what he got. Amber Sky was the Hong Kong Champion Griffin in 2011-12 after three consecutive victories as a two-year-old, including a Class 3 event against older gallopers.

There are multiple options now open to Amber Sky with the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai and Gr.1 King Stands Stakes at Royal Ascot in England amongst them. The Hong Kong Chairman’s Sprint Prize, a race Ricky Yiu won twice with Inglis graduate Sacred Kingdom, is another option for the exciting sprinter.

"I didn’t expect him to win so easily today so now we’ll think about the Chairman’s Sprint Prize before we go to Dubai. We have a fair bit of experience in Dubai so we’re not worried about going there," said Yiu.

Owned by Hong Kong action movie star Hung Kam Po, Amber Sky has raced 13 times for six wins and three placings.

Australian bred sprinters have dominated the Kent & Curwen Centenary Cup in recent years, winning the last twelve runnings of the race. Past winners include Inglis sold champions Sacred Kingdom and Silent Witness.

Amber Sky became the 79th stakes-winner for his champion sire Exceed And Excel which will be represented by 12 yearlings at the 2014 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in March and 26 yearlings at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April.

Amber Sky’s half-sister by Lonhro will be offered by Blue Gum Farm as Lot 615 at the Melbourne Premier Sale.

The Melbourne Premier and Australian Easter catalogues are available on both the market leading Inglis Sales iPad App and online at www.inglis.com.au