A 2YO son of record-breaking sire Deep Field has topped the 2022 Hong Kong International Sale after attracting a bid of HK$7.8 million (A$1.4million) at the Sha Tin Parade Ring on Saturday, as all 17 lots offered realised a total of HK$71 million.
By the same sire as Group I LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) winner Sky Field and a host of other Hong Kong winners including The Golden Scenery, Californiadeepshot and Winning Dreamer, the athletic chestnut was one of four lots to top HK$5 million.
Underscoring the popularity of Newgate Farm’s Deep Field, who holds the Hong Kong single-season progeny earnings record, the sale-topper is from the well-credentialled More Than Ready (USA) mare Bousquet.
He was bred by Tasmanian based Grenville Stud and sold in their Inglis Premier draft for $550,000 to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is from a winning daughter of Group II winner Downhill Racer.
Bousquet was purchased by Grenville Stud for $40,000 from the 2019 Inglis Broodmare Sale in foal to Deep Field and was covered last spring by Shamus Award.
The much admired 2YO gelding was the subject of a willing bidding tussle before being knocked down to Yue Yun Hing.
The Yue family, who have raced a host of successful gallopers in Hong Kong including Panfield and Butterfield, also claimed the second highest-lot at the sale with the HK$7 million purchase of an Irish bred gelded son of Starspangledbanner to Edmond Yue Kwok Yin.
Also popular was an Australian bred 3YO chestnut gelding by Snitzel out of Encosta de Lago mare Houston Benefactor that was purchased by Yip Wing Kui for HK$5.8 million (A$1million).
He was bred and sold by Segenhoe for $600,000 at Inglis Easter and is a half-brother to three winners from stakes-placed Houstone Benefactor, a full sister to Group II winner Sovereign Nation.
The next highest price was paid for a 3YO bay gelding by Fastnet Rock out of Northern Meteor mare Diana’s Star that was secured by Philip Liu Chun Hang for HK$5 million (A$934,000).
A $460,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Segenhoe draft, he is from an unraced half-sister to Australian Horse of the Year Dissident.
The sale average was HK$4.1 million, up from $HK2.95 million in 2021, while the median reached HK$3.6 million, up from $2.8 million in 2021.
Mr Danny Rolston, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services, said: “With significant increases in average and gross turnover, the Club is overall really happy with the outcome of the sale – the strong results are a reflection of the Hong Kong Jockey Club members’ confidence in the horses that have been selected for the sale, the results of the graduates that have come out of the sale but most importantly the confidence and strength of Hong Kong racing and this is a reflection of the significant increases in prize money for next season.
“I think the two top lots were fairly obviously going to be the highlight horses, they breezed particularly well and they’re both by stallions that are very popular. Beyond that it’s really hard to predict what the horses are going to sell for and just how much the turnover will be but we’re very happy to see such a significant increase in gross turnover.
“While we sold 17 horses here today, that was just the select group of horses that was decided were completely well suited to the environment in Hong Kong to be offered at the sale. There’s still 12 that didn’t come to the sale and that is a reflection of the standard that we have before we even bring them through for the auction.”
