Two
expensive purchases for the Hong Kong Kong Jockey Club at the 2014 Inglis
Australian Easter Yearling Sale were both in the winner's circle at Sha Tin on
Sunday headed by unbeaten Starcraft gelding Jing Jing Win, who topped the HKJC
International Sale earlier this year.
Prepared by David Hall, Jing Jing Win fetched HK$8.5 million ($A1,455,479) when
sold again this year and looks to be worth the money judging by impressive wins
at his only two starts to date.
Jing Jing Win raced away to win by nearly three lengths over 1200 metres as a
red hot favourite.
Brilliant at the 1200 metres, Hall may look to extend that speed over further
as his career unfolds.
"Of course you can never run away from that word (Derby) in this
town," Hall said.
"But for me, it's not a word that even comes into play with this type of
horse. He doesn't give me any inclination that he is a Derby style of horse.
"He has an enormous amount of talent and he does things very easily,
whatever he does - but whether you can stretch him to 2,000m, well, it's a long
way away. You might think you can do it in his four-year-old year because the
others aren't as good at that time, but then again, with a horse like Pakistan
Star, and others to come, it might be an incredible race. We've got a lot to
learn about the horse as well."
A $360,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Arrowfield draft, Jing Jing Win is a
full brother to Group III winning sprinter Havana being from the Anabaa (USA)
mare Top Cuban,
Top Cuban has a yearling colt by Snitzel and was covered last spring by Redoute's
Choice.
Scoring a strong finishing win at just
his second start on Sunday over 1400 metres was four year-old Fastnet Rock
gelding Smiling Charm, a $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase for the Hong Kong
Jockey Club from the Mill Park draft.
Trained by CW Chang and ridden by Olivier Doleuze, Smiling Charm fought hard to
the line to win well.
Smiling Charm is the third winner for Tale of the Cat mare Kaimana (USA), a half-sister
to the dam of Group I winner Irish Lights, who is also by Fastnet Rock.
The family has had a kick along this year as Irish Lights is now the dam of
Group II winner and Group I placed filly Omei Sword.
Mill Park sold a filly by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) from Kaimana at Inglis Premier
this year for $160,000 to Cloud 9 Thoroughbreds/ CB Bloodstock and she has
another colt by Medaglia D'Oro for the sales next year.