Australian bred sprinters filled the trifecta in the Group I The Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday with Kia Ora Stud bred and sold All Too Hard gelding Wellington making it back to back wins in the race defeating Computer Patch (Exceed and Excel) and Sky Field (Deep Field).
Trained by Richard Gibson and ridden by Alexis Badel, Wellington scored by more than a length in 1:08.09.
In claiming a successive victory in the race, Wellington joined one of the most select clubs in Hong Kong racing’s fabled speed division.
Richard Gibson’s powerful gelding, who captured the coveted prize with a striking turn of foot in 2021, was bidding to join Mr Vitality, Fairy King Prawn, Silent Witness, Sacred Kingdom, Dim Sum and Lucky Nine as a dual winner of Hong Kong’s final G1 dash of the season in recent years.
Only Mr Vitality, Silent Witness and Lucky Nine had landed the prize in successive years since 1995, but Wellington emulated them with a clinical performance which left Badel beaming and Gibson hailing “equine brilliance” as Hong Kong racing took a significant step towards pre-pandemic normality with owners back at the races for the first time since 12 January.
“What a wonderful day that the owners are here,” he said.
“I’m so pleased they are here to share such a great horse. I’m just delighted that the Club made all the efforts to make sure that the owners were here today and the crowd that are here appreciated equine brilliance because that’s what it is.
“He really is one of the top sprinters in the world. It’s difficult to win these big Group 1 races back-to-back. He’s done it and it’s a great achievement.”
Wellington has now won ten of his sixteen starts with a running total of over HK$40 million in prize money.
Badel has ridden Wellington in seven of those successes.
“When you ride such a good horse it makes the life of a jockey a lot easier and all credit to the trainer and Richard’s team as he’s not an easy horse to train and he knows exactly what to do,” Badel said.
“He’s given him a lot of patience and today we see the results. We make a good team and it’s great to ride such a good horse.”
Wellington was a $70,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Kia Ora Stud draft for Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm and was bred by Kia Ora and partners.
Bred by Kia Ora in partnership, he is the first winner from Group II placed More Than Ready (USA) mare Mihiri, who comes from a European female family featuring Group I winners Cerulean Sky and Moonstone and a raft of stakes-winning stayers such as Honoulu and Master of Reality.
The current 2YO from Mihiri, a filly by Star Witness, was sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds as agent for Kia Ora at Inglis Classic this year for $85,000 to Tricolours Racing and Syndication.
Mihiri was covered again by All Too Hard in 2020 and produced a full sister to Wellington last spring.
Wellington is one of four G1 winners for Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard, who stands this spring at a fee of $38,500.
