Latest news with #HongKongInternationalSale
South China Morning Post
10-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong International Sale needs ‘holistic review of every element'
Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said he would order a 'holistic review of every element' of the Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS) after a string of disappointing results at Friday night's auction at Sha Tin. After six of the catalogue's 21 horses were withdrawn before the sale on veterinary advice, the average purchase price dropped 9 per cent year on year, and only five of the 15 lots to go through the ring fetched more than their presale cost, resulting in a loss of HK$8.82 million just on the gallopers sold. The total presale cost of the six late withdrawals came to HK$24 million, although the Jockey Club was expected to look to recoup some of its losses by selling some of the withdrawn lots by private tender. Those numbers came a year after the average purchase price dropped more than 30 per cent. 'It's simple – disappointing,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said when asked for his thoughts on a sale that has long been maligned for its lack of overall quality. 'I'm especially disappointed about the number of horses who had to be withdrawn. This is a number which, in my view, needs a complete review,' he added, confirming as many as 11 further horses were bought by the Jockey Club that did not even make it into the catalogue, meaning fewer than half the total purchases were sold on Friday. 'When you look statistically, you would have to expect that 25 per cent, maybe 30 per cent, will not make it. But we are way beyond that, so you have to factor in the whole chain – is it from the buying, do we always buy the right pedigrees, what is the preparation?' Engelbrecht-Bresges put a decline in interest from buyers down to a change in market conditions in Hong Kong. He pointed to the club's continued efforts to entice owners to buy Private Purchases (previously raced horses) by offering a bonus scheme which sees gallopers scoop as much as HK$3 million by winning at certain levels before they turn five. 'With the PP bonuses, some people say 'I would have bought at the auction before but I pay now maybe even HK$1 million more, I buy a PP and I get another HK$1.5 million',' he said. 'There was not enough depth because a lot of times there was not a really strong underbidder. So that is a demand issue besides a supply issue. 'We normally have a lot of mainland buyers. This year we had only one, so we have to look at everything. 'The market has changed and when the market changes, you have to see if what you do is still the right thing to do and you have to think how you put a value proposition there. 'So, it's one thing when you get the withdrawal of horses, which definitely makes it not very sustainable, but the other one is to step back and say how the market has changed. You need to make an analysis and see what you do.' The HKIS exists to offer Jockey Club members an alternative way to buy bloodstock, with gallopers sourced from 'many of the world's premier yearling sales and pre-trained in Australia and Great Britain before coming to Hong Kong'. The world's highest-earning racehorse, Romantic Warrior, is the sale's flag-bearer, although his owner, Peter Lau Pak-fai, was a notable absentee from the list of purchasers after being active at multiple recent sales. Telling was the fact one of this year's most prominent buyers was the Jockey Club itself, who snaffled two lots through its The Racing Club membership arm for HK$6 million. Group Three winner Patch Of Theta and Hong Kong Derby hopeful Markwin are other gallopers to come out of the HKIS in recent years. 'If you look at the overall picture, the sale is a tiny part of our business and what you want to achieve is a good service for owners and an experience for new owners – so that they're familiar with how we select horses with pedigree, so there is a certain educational part of this, too,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said. 'I still believe there are some really good horses in the sale.' An I Am Invincible gelding led the way on Friday night, fetching a bid of HK$5 million.
South China Morning Post
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
I Am Invincible youngster goes for HK$5 million tops 2025 Hong Kong International Sale
A gelding by I Am Invincible returned the highest price at the Hong Kong International Sale on Friday night, after fetching a bid of HK$5 million. Lot 12 was bought by Philip Liu Chun-hang in Sha Tin. The youngster is a half-brother to the Group 1-winning Summer Passage, while I Am Invincible's notable progeny to race in Hong Kong is Group 2 winner Wishful Thinker and 2024 sale graduate Markwin – an earner of HK$3.76 million including a HK$1 million ISG Bonus. So Wing-keung bought Lot 5 – the evening's second highest buy for HK$4.6 million. The gelding has ties to 2004 Hong Kong Derby winner Lucky Owners, while his dam Andresa is a full sister to four-time Group 1-winning mare Mosheen. Lots 15 and 17 both went for HK$4 million. The HKJC Racing Club Limited secured Lot 15 – a bay son of Siyouni, whose main offspring is eight-time winner Leading Fortune. Lot 17 fell the way of Alan Chan. The chestnut is by Lope de Vega – also the sire of six-time Hong Kong winner Fast Most Furious. The HKJC Racing Club Limited also scooped Lot 16 for HK$2 million – a brown son of Per Incanto, sire of nine-time winner Duke Wai, six-time winner Raging Blizzard, among others. The youngster is a full brother to Baby Crystal – a victor at Sha Tin last January. Yan Qing Lin landed Lot 6 for HK$3.6 million – a bay of son of Deep Field, whose dam The Soloist is a half-sibling to Group 1-winning Hong Kong sprinter Hot King Prawn. Lots 9 and 14 both sold for HK$3.2 million. Cheung Kwai-po bought Lot 9 – a brown son of No Nay Never, sire of 2024 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Massive Sovereign. Cheung Kwok-wing – owner in partnership of the likes of six-time winner Blaze Warrior as well as Circuit Stellar – collected Lot 14. The chestnut is by Smart Missile – sire of HK$8.57 million earner Green N White. Louis Pong opened the evening with a successful HK$2.6 million bid for Lot 1 – a bay gelding by Toronado, while Lot 2 went for HK$1.2 million to Lee Lit-lung – owner in partnership of three-time winner Must Go. Fong Ching landed Lot 4 – a Toronado gelding for HK$2.6 million. Lots 8 and 18 also fetched HK$2.6 million. Lot 8 is a grey son of Darci Brahma bought by Fung Kok Po – owner of the 'Smiling' series of horses, including the currently active Smiling Collector and Smiling Emperor. Lot 18 went to Edwin Fong – who currently races two-time winner Parents' Love with legendary trainer Tony Cruz. Kitten's Joy will have his second Hong Kong-based runner after Top Ace with Lot 7 – a chestnut just like his American-bred sire – who sold for HK$2.5 million to Yip Shu Bun. 'We've put some really nice horses up, we were really selective on the final group that we offered to the market,' said Danny Rolston, the Jockey Club's executive manager, international sale/owners advisory services. 'I think the market has dictated that horses aren't worth the same as what they perhaps were two years ago, and we're confident that we've released some really nice horses into the market for our permit holders. 'In another 12 months we'll be telling more stories like Markwin and New Future Folks and permit holders have come to the international sale and they've actually got value and they've been able to buy horses that are right here and ready to train and have a pretty good chance of going and winning a race in their first 12 months and being a chance in their four-year-old season.'
South China Morning Post
05-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Irish jockey Declan McDonogh lands first Hong Kong win on Nice Birdie at Happy Valley
Irish jockey Declan McDonogh was over the moon to 'tick another one off' when he bagged his first Hong Kong victory at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Riding in Hong Kong on a six-week stint as injury cover, the 45-year-old lifted Danny Shum Chap-shing's Nice Birdie to a thrilling win in the Class Five Kwoon Chung Motors Handicap (2,200m). Ireland's champion flat jockey in 2006, McDonogh jumped at the chance to ride in the city after the riding ranks were hit by four jockeys suffering injuries in two separate falls at Sha Tin on February 9. 'It's a pleasure to tick another one off the box and have my first winner in Hong Kong, so I'm chuffed about that,' said McDonogh, who has ridden throughout Europe as well as in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Macau. First Hong Kong win for @declanmcdonogh! 🇨🇮 The Irishman guides Hong Kong International Sale graduate Nice Birdie to a second 2200m success at Happy Valley... @AtTheRaces #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 5, 2025 'It's totally different to Europe, but that's what it's all about – to take the key learnings you can from all the jurisdictions that you ride in and that's important to me. I've learned a lot so far and hopefully I'll learn even more. 'All the jockeys are sharp and everything happens a lot quicker here. You have to be on the ball and I've certainly learnt that the last few meetings. 'It's a pleasure to be asked by the Jockey Club to come here and also to represent Irish racing as well. It's great for Irish racing to be here against the Aussies and the Ryan Moores.' McDonogh took advantage of Nice Birdie's inside draw to be perfectly placed on the back of leader and $2.6 favourite, California Moxie, before coming off the fence on the home turn. The $14.65 chance hit the front at the 200m and scrambled in by a short head from the fast-finishing Super Hong Kong to record his third triumph at start 34. 'I had a lovely run around. I never had to spend a penny and the horse was genuine in the finish,' McDonogh said. While he said his current stint through to April 2 was his main focus, McDonogh said he would be open to extending his stay in Hong Kong if the opportunity arose. Elsewhere on the Valley card, champion British jockey Ryan Moore finished his three-meeting stint with a double aboard John Size's duo Golden Rise and Beauty Alliance. 'I'm very grateful to come here and for all the support I've had,' Moore said. 'I've had a few disappointments but that's Hong Kong. I'm thankful for the support I've had here and hopefully I can come back soon. It's always great to come here and it's been a good trip.' Size's brace helped him snatch the trainers' championship lead back from David Hayes. They share the lead on 36 wins, with Size holding the ascendancy with more seconds. One of the four jockeys injured last month, Angus Chung Yik-lai, broke through for his first success since returning from a fractured facial bone when he guided Jimmy Ting Koon-ho's Harmony N Home to victory in the Class Four Intercontinental Limousine Handicap (1,200m). 'It reminded me of how to win a race because the first meeting back [last Sunday], I was still a bit nervous and had some memories of the accident,' Chung said. 'Hopefully I can keep this feeling from tonight and keep on going.' Harry Bentley and Hugh Bowman matched Moore's double, with the former saluting on Mark Newnham's Excellence Value and the Hayes-trained Romantic Son, while the latter won on Manfred Man Ka-leung's Dragon Four Seas and the Caspar Fownes-trained Sky Vino. Spicy Gold capped a training double for Newnham with victory under Alexis Badel.
