December 11, 2008Australian Success Continues on HK’s Biggest Day
By Nathan Exelby – www.racingandsports.com.au
Continuing a growing tradition, horses bred in Australia and New Zealand once again enjoyed great success at Hong Kong’s International meeting this year.
Australian-breds have dominated the Group 1 International Sprint (run over 1200m for the first time this year) and it continued with the devastating win by Absolute Champion yesterday.
It was in fact an all-Australian affair, with the winner prepared by now HK-based David Hall and ridden by Brett Prebble, who teamed with Hall to win a number of Australia’s premier races.
Bred by the Kelly family of Newhaven Park Stud in New South Wales, Absolute Champion is a son of the 1987 Golden Slipper winner Marauding from the Ideal Planet mare Beauty Belle.
A winner of five races up to 1800m, Beauty Belle is from a famous Australian family, being a full-sister to stakes winner Roanoke Boy and a half-sister to stakes placed Voltage.
Voltage has been a star producer at stud, providing the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate victor Drum, Listed winner and Caulfield Guineas (G1) runner-up Port Watch and Group 3 winner Anamato, who ran third in this year’s VRC Oaks.
Another daughter of Voltage was Group 1 placed Tambour, who later produced multiple Group 1 winner Grand Armee.
The latest star member of this elite family is this season’s Newcastle Spring Stakes (G3) winner Mearas.
Absolute Champion formerly raced in Australia as Genius And Evil, where he won the Group 2 STC Pago Pago Stakes as a two-year-old.
In a course record breaking victory, Absolute Champion became the first horse to break the 1:8.0 barrier at Sha Tin, in easily defeating two-time International Sprint winner Silent Witness.
A Viscount half-brother to Absolute Champion sold at this year’s William Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $140,000.
Australian-bred horses have won the Hong Kong Sprint every year, since it was first run in 1999.
Fairy King Prawn won the inaugural running, followed by Falvelon (twice), All Thrills Too, Silent Witness and last year’s winner, Natural Blitz (who formerly raced as Shout From Maroof in Western Australia).