Second
to Graff in the Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes last spring, lightly raced
Sebring gelding Neutrality has been sent to Hong Kong and given a name change
to Yee Cheong Baby and duly won impressively at Happy Valley on Wednesday
evening.
Now trained by Jimmy Ting after starting his career with Peter and Paul Snowden,
Yee Cheong Baby was ridden by Zac Purton and scored a brilliant win in the
Class 2 sprint over 1200 metres, his second victory since departing Australia.
He clocked a brisk 1:08.78 seconds, which was just outside of Ivictory's Happy
Valley 1200m track record time of 1m 08.52, and was praised highly for his exciting
two length win.
"The horse has improved, I think he is top of Class 2, we'll see next season if
he improves a little bit, maybe he can run in a Group race," said Ting, who is taking
it easy with Yee Cheong Baby; the youthful chestnut still has plenty of
maturing to do according to his handler.
"I didn't push him because he's only three years old, I just gave him relaxed
work, gallop three times, easy.
"He's a big horse, still growing; I think next season he'll be better."
A $400,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft for
China Horse Club/ Newgate Farm / WinStar Farm, Neutrality is a half-brother to
stakes-winner Nocturnelle from Group III winner Dama de Noche.
He is the sixth winner for the daughter of Snippets, who is also the grand-dam
of Group III winner Dracarys. Dama De Noche has yearling and weanling fillies
to follow by Sebring.
Neutrality was a stunning yearling that was compared by many to Sebring's
$7million earner Criterion, so we will follow his progress with interest!