This year's running of Hong Kong's most prestigious race, the Hong Kong Derby, saw a stirring finish between two exceptionally exciting horses - the Irish bred Massive Sovereign and the Australian bred Galaxy Patch.
Along with the winner, Galaxy Patch really put in the big strides late to go oh so close to the prize after getting back from a tricky gate - clocking 22.4 seconds for his final 400m compared to the winner's 22.58 seconds.
Bred by Summerset Stud, the $50,000 graduate of the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale had just the one start in Australia - on the back of good trial form starting favourite in at Morphettville maiden, finishing off strongly to make a winning debut.
From there he made his way to the Pierre Ng stable and he was off and running straight away there as well - green but too good over 1200m at Sha Tin last October. He was beaten at his next start but from there went from strength to strength winning his next three by wide margins.
Right up in class when contesting the Gr.1 Queen's Jubilee Cup in mid-March, Galaxy Patch really caught the eye with his strong finishing second to the more seasoned California Spangle; a run that saw connections pay up a late entry fee for the Derby.
Considered to be one of Hong Kong's most exciting young gallopers, Galaxy Patch is a son of Larneuk Stud's quiet achiever Wandjina - Gr.1 Australian Guineas winning son of the great Snitzel.
A horse who Larneuk's Neville Murdoch thinks is worthy of greater support, and to that end he is really going to push the stallion to breeders this spring.
"He is an underrated stallion who just keeps getting winners and, as Galaxy Patch shows, he is capable of siring a very good horse."
"He is an ideal horse for owner/breeders, and for the VOBIS scheme - he boasts a very good strike rate."
On top of Galaxy Patch, Wandjina has a number of promising young horses coming through such as the Kris Lees trained Infancy who from her first nine starts has won three races including the Listed Fireball Stakes at Randwick in early March.
And the Nick Ryan trained Wirrpanda who - at just his third start (and his first as a gelding) - impressed charging home to claim his maiden at Geelong during the week.
Wandjina's pedigree is an interesting one for breeders to take note of; bred on a 6 X 5 cross of the influential matriarch Best In Show via her descendants Redoute's Choice and Try My Best, he is picking up very well on further strains on that family (such as El Gran Senor who appears in Galaxy Patch) as well as on strains of the great mare La Troienne to whom he is line-bred - and who is ancestress of More Than Ready, dam sire of Galaxy Patch and Wirrpanda - as well as of Wandjina's stakes winner Express Pass.
For further information on Victoria's quiet achiever, get in touch with Larneuk Stud via neville@larneuk.com or 0418105706.
