Hong Kong International Success Beckons

Last night in Hong Kong, Karaka graduates Egyptian Ra and Enthused put their hands up for International honours when they won the two feature races on the card in the build up to the big event just under three weeks away.

The Cathay Pacific International Race Meeting to be held on 14 December at Sha Tin is the largest international sporting event staged in Hong Kong and offers HK$64,000,000 (NZ$15,320,000) in prize money.

The HK-2 Hong Kong International Mile Trial (1600m) was contested first and it a attracted an elite field of eight runners including Hong Kong Horse of the Year Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) and three Karaka graduates.

But it was Karaka graduate Egyptian Ra (Woodborough - Egyptian Queen, by Kairoi Lad) in the hands of a wily Felix Coetzee who led the whole way, kicking four lengths at the home turn and maintaining that margin to the line in a race winning time of 1.33.28, the second fastest mile ever run on the Sha Tin turf. Fellow graduates Sight Winner (Faltaat) and Joy and Fun (Cullen) ran second and fourth respectively.

Offered by Canterbury Park Farm at the2003 Karaka Select Sale, Egyptian Ra was 2nd in the 2yo colt classification in New Zealand before being purchased for Hong Kong. He is a half-brother to Group 1 Railway Stakes winner Egyptian Raine (Desert Sun), and his HK-2 victory takes his record to six wins and over HK$9 million.

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�Enthused wins the HK-2 International�Sprint Trial

The HK-2 Hong Kong International Sprint Trial (1200m) was contested just one race later between twelve of Hong Kong's short course specialists with Karaka graduates being five of those. Enthused (Centaine - Free as a Bird, Jugah)� was his typically tough self that has seen him collect cheques in every single one of his fifteen Hong Kong starts, this one a well fought winning one.

Positioned three back and one off the fence by hot jock Felix Coetzee, Enthused tracked runaway leader Lucky Quality around the home bend and quickly took up the lead, fighting off challengers all the way down to the wire to score victory by a nose over Sunny Power, with fellow graduates Green Birdie (Catbird) and Able One (Cape Cross) third and fourth respectively.

Enthused was sold by Windsor Park Stud for $40,000 at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale to Aquanita Racing. Enthused's victory backed up his HK-3 Sha Tin Sprint Trophy victory earlier in the season and took his record to seven victories and close to HK$7 million dollars in prize money.

With the key lead up races now contested and fields for the International series taking shape, New Zealand is well represented in the quest for Group 1 International Glory with the likes of Waikato (Pins) and Enthused in the HK-1 Sprint, Armada (Towkay), Able One (Cape Cross), Egyptian Ra (Woodborugh) and Green Birdie (Catbird) in the HK-1 Mile, Packing Winner (Zabeel) and Jackpot Delight (Danasinga) in the HK-1 Cup, and Win Practitioner (O'Reilly) amongst the leading Kiwi entrants in the HK-1 Vase.

The Karaka graduate success did not end with the HK-2 Trials with a further four races on the Sha Tin eleven-race program won by graduates.