Group One Double to Spur HK Buyers to Easter

WEEK after week horses bred in Australian and exported to Hong Kong adorn the winners' stall after their high level races and last Sunday's meeting at Sha Tin was no exception. 

In particular it saw two Aussies, Able Friend (Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, 1400m) and Luger (Hong Kong Derby, 4yos over 2000m) record such good wins at Group1 level that it will not surprise if there is a bigger presence than normal of Hong Kong buyers at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on April 7, 8 and 9.

Both Able Friend, a Turangga Stud, Scone produced 5-year-old gelding by the shuttled French Derby winner Shamardal (USA) (by Giant's Causeway) and Ponte Piccolo (NZ), a Volksraad (GB) Listed 2-year-old winner, and Luger, a 4-year-old gelding bred by Bylong Thoroughbreds using Choisir and Miss Conception, an unraced Danzero mare, are graduates of Easter Yearling Sales.

Trained by John Moore and ridden by international jockey supremo Joao Moreira, an amazing feat considering on the previous day he guided Brazen Beau to victory in the Newmarket at Flemington, Able Friend could again be recognized as one top three horses in the World Rankings at the end of 2015. He was equal third highweight for 2014.

A modest winner in Australia, but now successful in nine of 14 starts, including Group1s at his last three outings, and earner of HK$42million, Able Friend was sold by Turangga at the Easter sale to George Moore Bloodstock,HK for $550,000 and, presented by his breeders, Luger went to Brisbane based John Foote Bloodstock for $260,000.

Luger's win in the Derby, success which came after being wide for most of the trip, took his record to seven wins and HK$11.2million from ten starts. He is trained by John Size and was ridden by Zac Purton

Third in the Derby went to Romantic Touch, a son of the Widden Stud deceased sire Northern Meteor and the Snippets mare Dearness. Romantic Touch was bred by Gooree Park Stud and, before being sold to Hong Kong, won three races in succession at two for them, including the Group1 J.J. Atkins over 1600m at Eagle Farm.

Widden Stud sires provided first, Thunder Dash (by Sebring), and third, Ruby Diamond (Snippetson) in a class 4 event over 1200m on Sunday's Hong Kong program.

There are no yearlings by Shamardal in the 605 lot catalogue, about 95% of which are by Hunter Valley sires, for the 2015 Australian Easter Sale set to be conducted at the historic Newmarket Stables, Randwick on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday April 7, 8 and 9, but there are five by Choisir, 28 by Northern Meteor and 33 by Sebring.

Their progeny chosen from more than 2000 entries and adding up to possibly the most elite Easter collection of all time, the other sires represented (ten or more lots) are Fastnet Rock (57), Snitzel (47), Redoute's Choice (35), So You Think (32), More Than Ready (USA) (30), Smart Missile (25), Exceed and Excel (20), Street Cry (Ire) (20), Sepoy (18), Commands (18), High Chaparral (Ire) (15), Stratum (15), Lonhro (13), Medaglio D'oro (USA) (12) and Manhattan Rain (10).