Shuttle Sires Big Impact at HK International Meeting

20-12-2011

SIRES, who have provided winners to Group1 level from use in both hemispheres, had a big impact on the winners’ stall on the Hong Kong international program on Sunday. The sires are the Coolmore used High Chaparral (by Sadler’s Wells), Fastnet Rock (Australian bred son of Danehill), Spinning World (by Nureyev) and Danehill (Danzig) and a Darley duo of Dubawi (by the Mr. Prospector grandson Dubai Millennium) and Cape Cross (by Danzig’s influential son Green Desert).

The sire of So You Think, a New Zealand bred Australian champion who went on to be one of the best middle distance performers in Europe in 2011, High Chaparral is a Coolmore Ireland headquartered sire who started his southern hemisphere career in New Zealand, but on his last two visits, 2010 (book of 235 mares) and 2011, stayed at their Hunter Valley complex. Two of his first crop New Zealand foaled offspring, the 5-year-olds Viva Freedom (won the Tokyo Handicap) and Let Me Handle It (second in the Dubai Handicap) flew his flag at the Hong Kong meeting.

The Dubai Handicap was taken out by Captain Sweet, an Australian bred 4-year-old gelding by Fastnet Rock who is now winner of seven races from 12 starts in Hong Kong. He was bred by J.M. Cappellin, Victoria and sold through Glastonbury Farm, Scone at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $60,000.

There were four Group1 races on the Hong Kong program with the first one, the Hong Kong Vase (2400m), being taken out by Dunaden, the ‘peasant’ from France who was coming back in distance from the gruelling glory of his Melbourne Cup victory. Second and third in the Vase, respectively, went to Thumbs Up (New Zealand bred son of the Ireland bred Fairy King sire Shinko King) and Silver Pond, another France bred horse.  A grey like his sire, Silver Pond is by Act One, a son of the Sadler’s Wells sire In The Wings, and from Silver Fame, a mare got in America by Quest for Fame, an English Derby winner who provided a lot of winners from use at the Woodlands Stud in the Hunter Valley.

One of the most interesting results on the day was the narrow victory in the International Sprint by Ireland bred Lucky Nine, a 4-year-old gelding by the Darley sire Dubawi and from a Green Desert winner. Recording his eighth win in 20 outings, this Hong Kong resident is the first northern hemisphere bred winner of the event, one conducted this year for the thirteenth time.
  The first eleven fell to Australian sired runners, including Falvelon (the only visitor), Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom on two occasions each, and the 2010 renewal was taken out by a South African raider by the name of J J The Jet Plane by a centimetre from Australian bred Singapore champion Rocket Man.

Darley sires were responsible for two of the Group1 winners with the Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan New Zealand bred Able One, a son of the Green Desert sire Cape Cross and the unraced Danehill mare Gardenia claiming the Hong Kong Mile by a neck. A 9-year-old who cost $190,000 at the New Zealand sales, he has appeared 40 times in Hong Kong for eleven wins, others including the Group1 Champions Mile twice and two Group 2s. The champion European sire for 2009, Cape Cross visited New Zealand for three seasons and Darley in the Hunter Valley in 2005 and 2006.

The other Group1 event on Sunday, the Hong Cup over 2000m, was won by California Memory, a 6-year-old American bred gelding who has risen above moderate performances in France to be a leader in Hong Kong. He has also won the Group1 Hong Kong Gold Cup and Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy and finished second in the Group1 Queen Elizabeth Cup.  California Memory is by Highest Honor, a France Group1 winner by Kenmare, a good sire from use in Europe and Australia (Arrowfield, Hunter Valley), and from Kalpita, an American bred daughter of Spinning World and a Mr. Prospector winner.

Courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Services

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