News

Turangga graduate 2015 Hong Kong Horse of Year

13th Jul 2015

IF THERE is currently a halo over the gateway to Stuart Ramsey’s Turangga Stud at the northern end to the Se genhoe Valley, Scone, it is well deserved for one of its products has become the first performer raised in the Hunter Valley since Fairy King Prawn at the turn of the century to capture the prestigious title of Hong Kong Horse of the Year.

Sold by Turangga for $550,000 to George Moore Bloodstock at the 2011 Easter Yearling Sale, he is the Shamardal gelding Able Friend, a galloper regarded as one of the best horses ever seen in Hong Kong.

Since the 2014-15 racing year commenced, Able Friend has raced eight times for six successive wins 1400m-1600m in Hong Kong, all by clear margins and five at Group1.The only losses were a first up fourth and a sixth in the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot last month.

Now winner of 12 of 18 starts and earner of over HK$52million, the John Moore trained Able Friend was admired so much for his performances in 2014, he was assessed in the World Rankings the second best miler of the year and the World’s equal third best racehorse of the year. Awarded a Timeform of 130, he is officially the highest internationally rated Hong Kong racehorse in history.

Stuart Ramsey bred Able Friend using Ponte Piccolo, a New Zealand bred Volksraad winner of the Illawarra Keith Nolan Classic, Doomben Bracelet and AJC Claymore Handicap and runner up AJC Adrian Knox and Doomben Roses. She is a half-sister to Global News, a Jetball winner to Group 1 in South Africa, and from Baronia, a winning sister by Half Iced (USA) to Big Barron (12 wins, VRC Dalgety Handicap, second to Subzero in the Adelaide Cup.

Turangga bred Able Friend, the most able horse in Hong Kong Performers in the first five generations of Able Friend’s family also include Full At Last (by Full On Aces; won VRC St Leger; sire), Catnipped (Rory’s Jester; VRC Maribyrnong Plate, Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic), Reward For Effort (Exceed and Excel Blue Diamond winner off to a good start as a sire at Chatswood Stud, Seymour Vic), Overreach (Exceed and Excel Golden Slipper winner), Turffontein (Johannesburg; a dual Group1 winning sprinter and prominent Victorian sire – Blue Gum, Euroa), Hit the Roof (Maroof; won Victorian Derby) and Ivory’s Wish (Best Western; won AJC Australian Derby).

Earlier the family produced the good European racehorses and southern hemisphere sires Smokey Eyes and Sovereign Edition.

The closest inbreedings in Able Friend’s pedigree are a 5x5 Northern Dancer and a 5x4 of the great American Racehorse Secretariat.

At the Hong Kong Awards on July 10, Able Friend claimed three titles, Horse of the Year, Most Popular Horse of the Year and Champion Miler. He was one of two award winners trained by John Moore, a son of deceased legendary Australian jockey George Moore, the other being Designs On Rome, the Champion Middle Distance Horse.

The Hong Kong 2014 Horse of the Year, Designs On Rome is an Ireland foaled 5-year-old gelding by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), a Danehill sire represented by Group1 winners in HK. New Zealand, Australia, America, England and France. He is booked to stand the 2015 Australian season on $22,000 at Coolmore, Hunter Valley.

The HK Champion Stayer is Helene Super Star (USA) (by Danzig War Front); Champion Sprinter went to Aerovelocity (NZ) (by Pins); Most Improved Horse to Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet (USA); and Champion Griffin to Thewizardofoz (Aust) (Redoute’s Choice). Contentment and Thewizardofoz are both trained by John Size.

In addition Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (by Pins), the 2010-2011 and 2011-12 Hong Kong Horse of the Year, and California Memory (USA) (by Highest Honor), were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Able Friend’s Horse of the Year Award is the fourteenth time that the crown has gone since 1977-78 to an Australian product. He has been preceded by Sacred Kingdom (Encosta de Lago) 2009-10, Silent Witness (El Moxie (USA) 2004-05, 2005-06, Grand Delight (Hurricane Sky) 2002-03, Fairy King Prawn (Danehill (USA) 2000-2001, 2001-02, Oriental Express (Grandera (Ire) 1997-98, Mr Vitality (Snippets) 1995-96, Mystic (Call Report (USA) 1984-85, Co Tack (Top Role) 1983-84, 1984-85 and Silver Lining (Town Crier (GB) 1980-81,1978-79,1977-78.