NZB RTR Graduates Shine in Hong Kong
3 November 2008
New Zealand Bloodstock graduates captured six of the 10 races at Sha Tin last night with the Ready to Run Sale providing three of these plus the winner of the only stakes race in New Zealand over the weekend
With the upcoming Ready to Run Sale set for 18 & 19 November at Karaka, the Sale's graduates started their winning streak with Galaxy Dancer (Danasinga - Our Charmer by Jetball) taking out The Horseshoe Grill Handicap (Class 5, 1800m). Leading throughout, the Francis Lui-trained five-year-old kicked on the home turn to beat his nearest rival by a neck. Galaxy Dancer was bred by Marie and Richard Rutherford and sold by Lyndhurst Farm at the 2005 Ready to Run Sale, where he was purchased by Mr M Chang for NZ$80,000.
Fly Me To The Moon (Fly To The Stars - Village Dancer by Mistral Dancer) won the next race on the card for trainer John Size and jockey Douglas Whyte. He began superbly in the Fortune Room Handicap (Class 4, 1400m) to make the lead, set the tempo and looked to be cruising on the home turn. When Whyte asked for the effort, the bay gelding accelerated, putting a few lengths on the field to then hold on for a comfortable three-quarter length victory. Fly Me To The Moon was bred by Ray Knight and sold by Triassic Park at the 2004 Ready to Run Sale where he was purchased for NZ$70,000 by New Zealand Bloodstock as agent.
Capturing the third race, the Gallop Handicap (Class 4, 1800m), for the RTR graduates was Supreme Dragon (Quest For Fame - Beyond Me (Bakharoff) in the hands of Eric Saint-Martin. �Beginning awkwardly from his 10 barrier Supreme Dragon was left three wide for most of the race. Approaching the home turn, the brown gelding looked as though he had his work cut out for him as Saint-Martin searched for gaps in the middle of the track, but once he had navigated through he got up in the last strides to win by a half-head. Trained� by Me YS Tsui, he was a NZ$70,000 purchase, again by Mr M Chang, this time from the Twin Pines draft.
The following Karaka graduates won a further three races on Hong Kong's Sunday program:
| Name | Race | Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Commander | Moon Koon H'cap 1400m Class 5 | 2006 Premier Yearling Sale |
| Kildare | Beijing Clubhouse H'cap 1000m Class 3 | 2006 Select Yearling Sale |
| Luminous | Centurion Rest. And Bar H'Cap 1600m Class 3 | 2003 Premier Yearling Sale |
Further emphasizing the merits of the Ready to Run Sale earlier in the weekend at Awapuni was Jonbalena (Lord Ballina - Desdemona by Truly Vain) who won the Listed First Sovereign Trust Fielding Gold Cup (2100m).
The Lisa Latta-trained five-year-old came from last to win by almost two lengths with The Veep (Deputy Governor) and Butch James (Volksraad) filling the minor placings.
Jonbalena was bred by EN Johanson and HR Jones and now boasts NZ$140,875 in prizemoney. He was purchased by owners Ray and Judy Stevens for NZ$60,000 from Mission Lodge at the 2005 Ready to Run Sale and adds to the Sale's great success which has seen six individual Group 1 winners emerge over the past two seasons. Mission Lodge will again produce a quality draft of six two-year-olds for this year's Sale.