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45.
Hong Kong buyers
remain active at Easter
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15/05/2003 |
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Australian
bred thoroughbreds comprise 36.6 per cent of the current horse population in
Hong Kong – but account for 48.9 per cent of the winners at Sha Tin and Happy
Valley.
On May 7, Australian horses accounted for five races on an eight-race card and
on May 10, Australian horses won five from 10, with a notable winner being
Belong To Me gelding Bowin, a $45,000 graduate from the Inglis Melbourne Premier
Sale of 2001 when offered by Desmond Park. While sires such as Danehill and
Snippets, whose progeny excel in Hong Kong, continue to dominate, sires by a
wide range of stallions such as Belong To Me are also proving effective.
The economic downturn in Hong Kong that has occurred as a result of the SARS
crisis impacted on the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale with fewer
purchasers from Hong Kong attending the sale at Newmarket. However, Hong Kong
buyers who did attend were certainly active, with trainer Ivan Allan going to $1
million to purchase Lot 329, a Danehill – Savana City half-brother to Hong
Kong champion sprinter Mr. Vitality, who was prepared by Allan to win champion
honours in
1993-94 and 1994-95. American Mike Shannon, who bid $1 million for the colt in
Allan’s absence, said the colt would remain in Australia for the immediate
future. Tyreel Stud spokesman John Jeffs said Allan had inspected the colt on
several occasions before returning to Singapore.
“Ivan just loved him. He was a quality colt and everybody marked him very
highly. We went in cautiously optimistic. He has got a wonderful stallion
pedigree,” said Jeffs.
Hong Kong Jockey Club gave $525,000 for Lot 14, a Danehill colt from dual Group
One winner Champagne, as well as purchasing Lot 398, a Danehill – Tamarind
Tree colt, for $200,000, and Lot 398, a Danehill – Techniques colt, for
$350,000. Long-time Australian purchaser Apollo Ng was also active, and he gave
$66,000 for Lot 110, a Last Tycoon – Follow The Sails colt offered by Newhaven
Park, and $210,000 for Lot 483, a Zabeel – Attempting colt offered by
Cambridge Stud. Ng has been purchasing yearlings in Australiafor 11 years and
cites the toughness of Australian horses as a prime factor for their ongoing
success abroad.
“Australian horses stand up very well to the rigors of racing in Hong Kong,
the firm surface of our track suits them, and generally the distance of our
races also suits them,” he said. “I think a lot of Hong Kong buyers will
come to Easter next year because they have seen enormous value this year. That
is a certainty. “Australia is offering buyers protection at the moment with
the introduction of the X-ray repository,” he said.
“Even through the requirement for entry to Hong Kong is very stringent with 42
plates and all that, better protection for buyers will result in more buyer
confidence and that will really be positive,” he said. “I have had a lot of
success with horses I have bought relatively cheaply here. The Australian market
is a realistic market. The people are friendly and helpful. Once you know the
market a little, you bid with more confidence,” he reasoned. “And the Easter
sale is a great time of year for Hong Kong people, it is a holiday break and we
can relax a little bit.”
Aushorse News
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