Arrowfield Stud have had a great winning run over the past week with stakes victories at Flemington for star graduates Hitotsu, Flying Evelyn and Bend The Knee, the winning groove extending to Sha Tin on Sunday where the Group III Sa Sa Ladies Purse (1800m) was won by Tourbillon Diamond, a horse they sold as a yearling for just $7,000!
Trained by Danny Shum, five year-old Olympic Glory (IRE) gelding Tourbillon Diamond raced successfully in Australia as Eric the Eel when trained by Stuart Kendrick.
He won several races and was third in the 2020 Group I ATC Australian Derby won by Quick Thinker and was subsequently sold to Hong Kong.
Tourbillon Diamond was seventh beaten just two and a half lengths in the Hong Kong Derby earlier this year and broke through for a short head win in the Ladies Purse after placing in Group races at his past two starts.
“I think he is ok in Group 2 under handicap conditions but set weights is very difficult, we will see how we go,” Shum said.
“Of course, I’m very happy, he’s a very consistent horse. This time he (Alex Badel) dropped him in a little bit and got cover and he ran better.”
Badel was well pleased with Tourbillon Diamond, who has now won six of 26 starts with 10 placings.
“I had a very good race, it was smooth, and I gave the horse the chance to breathe and recover from the early part of the race and then he gave me a great turn of foot and he was very good to the line,” Badel said.
Bred by Arrowfield in partnership, Tourbillon Diamond was sold in the Arrowfield draft at the Magic Millions National Yearling sale for $7,000 to Neil Douglas.
He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Perfect Match and Schiffer being the best of six winenrs from unraced Montjeu (IRE) mare Modave (NZ), a sibling to Group I winner Sharvasti and Group III winners Shastri and Bhandara.
Modave has changed hands several times in recent years most recently selling for $7,500 on Inglis Digital back in July and has missed at her past two seasons at stud.
Tourbillon Diamond is the tenth stakes-winner for Choisir’s Group I winning son Olympic Glory (IRE), who shuttled to Arrowfield for three seasons.
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