Progressive Aussie bred gelding Galaxy Patch scored his first stakes win at Sha Tin on Sunday when the four year-old son of Wandjina scored a narrow victory in a thrilling finishing to the Group III Lion Rock Trophy(1600m)
Trained by Pierre Ng and ridden by Vincent Ho, Galaxy Patch was second in the Hong Kong Derby back in March and most recently was fifth in the Group I Champions Mile won by Beauty Eternal.
Galaxy Patch charged through on the inside to take a half head win, his sixth from 12 starts.
“He deserves this win, it was just a bit risky because when I went inside Lyle (Hewitson on Chancheng Glory) sort of went out and then when I came through, he moved in a bit – I lost my momentum a little bit,” Vincent Ho said.
Second in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) this season, Galaxy Patch is now a five-time winner in Hong Kong with earnings of HK$19.78 million across his 11 starts in the jurisdiction.
“I always had faith in Galaxy Patch. He’s shown at Group 1 level, just behind Golden Sixty, and he didn’t really like the wet track as well,” Ho said, referencing the horse’s last start fifth placing.
Pierre Ng believes there is more to come for Galaxy Patch.
“I just never know how good he will be, but definitely a top one,” he said.
“The horse has got a very big heart and he managed to overcome that (small gap), so it’s quite a promising win. It’s a special horse who does that and the rider – of course, Vincent has the experience to do that as well.”
Galaxy Patch was a $50,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase for Will Clarken/Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/David Jolly from the Summerset Park Stud and won his debut in Adelaide before his sale to Hong Kong.
Bred and sold by Summerset Park, Galaxy Patch is a half-brother to stakes-placed Comearoundsundown and Creativity being the best of eight winners from unraced More Than Ready (USA) mare Voltara, who died last year.
Galaxy Patch is the sixth stakes-winner for Wandjina, who will stand at Larneuk Stud this spring at a fee of $6,600.
