The Goffs December National Hunt sale saw a leading €110,000 price for the top lot (157A, a wildcard entry) as the highest for a NH foal anywhere in 2023.
The session-topping lot by Walk In The Park (Ire) is a half-brother to multiple Grade I-scorer Stage Star (Ire) (Fame And Glory {GB}). Out of the graded-stakes winning jump mare Sparky May (GB) (Midnight Legend {GB}), the foal went to Richard Frisby, who also struck earlier for lot 101, a Blue Bresil colt, secured for €45,000.
David Cox of Baroda Stud, who consigned the colt on behalf of breeder Ruxley Holdings Ltd, said, “The late entry was made in order to strike while the iron is hot. Walk In The Park is leading the National Hunt sire table and Stage Star looked even better than last year when he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month impressively despite making a mistake.”
In total, 119 horses sold for a turnover of €1,957,000, up 27% from last season, with an average of €16,446, an increase of 8%. The selective market ruled the day, however, as the clearance rate came in at 61%.
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features the half-sister to G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
18.00 Southwell, Nov, £6,600, 2yo, 7f 14y (AWT)
John and Thady Gosden trainee DANIELLE (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) is kin to five black-type performers headed by this year's G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Her nine rivals include King Power Racing's fellow newcomer Midnight's Dream (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {Ire}), a half-brother to last term's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye runner-up White Lavender (Ire) (Heeraat {Ire}), from the Roger Varian stable.
Carenot (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix S. winner Dick Whittington (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), topped the third day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville at €72,000.
The 10-year-old mare is a dual winner and her first three foals have all also won two races, including the Listed-placed Liberalist (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Offered in foal to Earthlight (Ire) as lot 582 from Haras du Lieu des Champs, Carenot was bought by Whitehorn Bloodstock on behalf of Emir Alkas of Alkas Stud in Turkey.
Alkas's previous purchases at Arqana's December Sale include Naan (Ire) for €17,000. From that daughter of Indian Charlie he bred the 2020 G3 Solario S. winner Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}).
Leading the weanling division was a colt by Galiway (GB) (lot 604), whose stock continue to prove popular with both Flat and National Hunt buyers. This son of the Group 3-placed Stormyra (Fr) (Stormy River {Ire}) is a half-brother to three winners and was signed for by Peter and Ross Doyle at €51,000 from the draft of JK Thoroughbreds.
The colt's four-year-old half-sister Stormania (Fr) (Goken {Fr}) was sold immediately prior to her sibling as lot 603 from Haras de Colleville and, in foal to Galiway, she brought a bid of €35,000.
Though the figures from Monday's session are in stark contrast to those witnessed on Saturday, they are largely keeping pace with last year. From a slightly smaller comparative session, the clearance rate dropped by 4% to 75% for 187 of the 250 horses sold on the day. The median remained at €8,500, the average was up by 4% at €12,070, and with 29 fewer horses sold this year, the aggregate dropped 11% to €2,257,000.
With one session remaining at Arqana, the overall turnover looks set to follow the downward trend seen in Ireland and Britain so far this season.
Hong Kong Jockey Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has praised the 2023 Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) as “one of the best days of racing” Hong Kong has hosted.
“In my humble opinion, I've been here now for 25 years and this was one of the best – if not the best – days of racing we have had in Hong Kong,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
“If I look at the situation after Covid, after we had last year already a good meeting, but today Hong Kong racing has established (itself) again on the global stage and has shown what sporting entertainment means.
A crowd of 65,252 – the largest Longines HKIR attendance since 2019 – flocked to Sha Tin.
On a day when Hong Kong racing shone on the international stage as local champions – Lucky Sweynesse (Hong Kong Sprint), Golden Sixty (Hong Kong Mile) and Romantic Warrior (Hong Kong Cup) – won three of the four elite Group 1 contests, France also extended its successful association with the “Turf World Championships” with Junko (Hong Kong Vase).
“When you look at the sporting performances, it was a fantastic win by Junko and Andre Fabre, who is one of the greatest supporters of Hong Kong racing,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
Engelbrecht-Bresges thanked international and local owners, trainers and jockeys as well as Club staff for the staging of an unforgettable meeting.
“I would like especially to thank the connections, because this would not be possible without the tremendous support from horsemen around the world,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
Addressing Hong Kong's effort to win three of the four HKIR Group 1s for the second year in a row, Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “We had a sprint race where we had the best sprinter in the world (Lucky Sweynesse) establish himself after there was doubt. And I have witnessed this year two absolutely amazing performances, if you look at Equinox in Dubai and I had the pleasure to see Equinox in Japan.
“I'm not saying the performance of Golden Sixty is the same as Equinox, but in the Mile I have very seldom seen the performance of a horse, an 8-year-old first time up drawn gate 14, and it was an absolutely brilliant ride by Vincent (Ho).
“There was a lot of doubt how it would play out and it was a tactical masterpiece how the horse was positioned. When the horse accelerated, when you could hear the crowd cheering for the local champion, this was something which, in my view, was unforgettable.
“Then probably the most exciting 2000m race (Hong Kong Cup) I have seen this year. Similar to the Cox Plate, where you had really top horses fighting it out at the top of the straight. That a Hong Kong horse (Romantic Warrior) won is good, but when you look at the form of Luxembourg, again sporting wise it was a fantastic performance.”
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC photo)
Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Racing Andrew Harding described Sunday's race meeting as “truly remarkable” with Ho's Longines International Jockeys' Championship as one of several highlights of the week.
“The week indeed has had so many remarkable threads. I take Vincent's victory on Wednesday night (Dec. 6) in a field of literally superstars and it speaks to the depth of the Club's commitment to developing local talent,” he said.
“We were proud of what we were able to achieve during the dark days of the pandemic. Today showed that in December Hong Kong is the place to be and that the eyes of the racing world turn to us.
“I'm just so proud that we were able to show the world that Hong Kong is Asia's world city and we were able to give our visitors a fantastic week.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges thanked Club staff in staging the flagship meeting and for allowing Hong Kong to shine.
“We have a team dedicated to excellence and that makes the Jockey Club proud. It has shown today and the whole week that Hong Kong is back on the global stage and that Hong Kong racing is one of the global racing products which I feel as a city we should be proud of.”
Turnover on the meeting was HK$1.697 billion, which included a commingling turnover record for a 10-race Hong Kong meeting of HK$429.6 million.
