The locals have dominated the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin and were to the fore again on Sunday with the Australian-bred All Too Hard gelding Wellington.
Ridden by Ryan Moore for Richard Gibson, Wellington defeated the Magnus gelding Sight Success by three-quarters of a length with a neck back to the Deep Field gelding Sky Field in third.
It was the fourth Group 1 for the son of All Too Hard, advancing his record to twelve wins and a second from 19 starts.
Bred by Kia Ora Stud, David Paradise, and Steve McCann, Wellington was a $70,000 purchase for Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm from Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the best of three winners from four to race from Group II placed More Than Ready (USA) mare Mihiri, who comes from the family of Group I winners Cerulean Sky and Moonstone.
Wellington’s three-year-old half-sister Rotarua (Star Witness) broke her maiden last week at her second start at Nowra.
Mihiri has no yearling this year and produced a filly by Wellington’s sire All Too Hard on August 24.
Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard has 18 catalogued for the Magic Millions and 20 at the Inglis Classic.
