An eye-catching half-brother by I Am Invincible to Group I winner Volatile Mix topped the Hong Kong International Sale (July) at the Sha Tin Parade Ring on Friday night with all19 lots offered sold for a total of HK$74.3 million
The gelding, catalogued as Lot 8, fetched HK$7.2million (AUD$1.338 million) to the bid of Sze-To Kin Sun and was bought originally by the Hong Kong Jockey Club from the Torryburn Stud draft at 2018 Inglis Easter for $1million.
Bred by Linda Huddy, he is the third foal of Group III placed High Chaparral (IRE) mare Utopia.
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Wong Kwong Miu, whose red and black silks have been carried previously by the talented galloper Divine Ten, brought the auctioneer’s hammer down at HK$6.5 million for Lot 14 the second highest priced lot.
The Zoustar gelding is out of Baroness Gabriella, a half-sister to multiple G1-winning New Zealand champion Volkstok’n’barrell and as bought by the HKJC for $250,000 at the 2018 NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Two more geldings hit the HK$6 million mark: Lot 6 is a Savabeel full-brother to the G1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Savvy Coup; Lot 2 is a Per Incanto three-year-old out of the G1 ARC Railway Stakes winner Fleur De Lune.
Mr. William Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Director of Racing Business and Operations, said: “This was a very good sale, it exceeded our expectations. Overall, we have to be pleased with the results and it might be a good sign for the economy in Hong Kong that things could be rebounding, because the money was with us tonight.
“The horses presented well and I don’t think anyone was surprised by the sale-topper. There was a good mix of pedigrees, I think the buyers had a lot of variety and hopefully there’s some value there for our owners.”
The sale average was HK$3.91 million while the median came in at HK$4 million.
“Last year we sold 20 lots at the July Sale averaging HK$2.4 million and this year we had 19 lots averaging over HK$3.9 million, so this sale was very healthy and we’re pleased with the results,” Mr. Nader added.
