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Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation made it eight wins in succession when he led all the way to take out the G2 Chairman’s Trophy at Sha Tin on Sunday, capping a huge weekend across Asia for New Zealand bred and sold products.
Beauty Generation is at the peak of his abilities and should be as potent as ever in the G1 Champions Mile (1600m) at the end of the month.
After that trainer John Moore could could test him internationally in Japan’s G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in June.“We didn’t squeeze him too much for the run so there’ll be further improvement for the Champions Mile,” Moore said.
Bred at Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud in NZ, Beauty Generation (Road To Rock x Stylish Bel by Bel Esprit) is a graduate of the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Karaka Select Sale where he was purchased by Hermes Syndications for $NZ60,000.He started his career under the name of Montaigne for the Anthony Cummings stable in Sydney before his transfer to Moore for HK owner Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen.
Beauty Generation is now the winner of 12 of his last 15 starts. Sunday’s Chairman’s Trophy was his fourth Group 2 win, sitting alongside Group 1 victories in the Hong Kong Mile twice, Champions Mile, Stewards’ Cup and two editions of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.• Karaka graduates dominated another feature sprint at Sha Tin when Savabeel gelding Rattan won the G1 Sprint Cup (1200m).
Rattan produced a powerful late dash to down Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) and Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel) in a thrilling three-way finish, making it a Karaka first four.“If we were going to beat those two top horses it was going to be today with the allowance,” said Rattan’s trainer Richard Gibson.
“He trialled like a very good horse against Beauty Generation so we knew we had the horse in the right shape for a race like today.”The five-year-old has previously won at 1400m and 1600m but trialled in blinkers and Gibson felt the addition of that gear was required for the sprint distance.
“We thought going shorter with blinkers would be a good option for the horse,” he said.Winning jockey Chad Schofield has won five races on Rattan and has been aboard the gelding in all but eight of his 21 starts.
Rattan (Savabeel x Grand Princess by Last Tycoon) will now target the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on April 28.Bred and raised at Mapperley Park Stud in NZ, Rattan is a graduate of the 2015 NZB National Yearling Sale where he was knocked down to the bid of local bloodstock agent Bruce Perry for $150,000 before finding his way to Hong Kong.
He has now had 21 starts for seven wins, seven placings and HK$11.89 million – the equivalent of NZ$2.24 million, which is 15 times his purchase price.The victory completed a remarkable weekend for Mapperley Park Stud who also had G1 Doncaster Mile winner Brutal sell for $220,000 from their 2017 Karaka Premier session draft.
Runner-up Beat The Clock was bought for $200,000 at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. He has won seven of his 20 starts, headed by the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), for HK$25.8 million in stakes (NZ$4.88 million).Third-placed Mr Stunning was a $250,000 buy at the 2014 Premier Sale. The two-time Hong Kong Sprint winner has won 11 of his 24 starts and more than HK$48.5 million (NZ$8.66 million).
Fourth-placed Pingwu Spark (Mastercraftsman) is also a Karaka graduate, bought for $125,000 at the 2014 Premier Sale. He has earned HK$7.8 million (NZ$1.47 million) in his 20-start, six-win career.• In Singapore trainer Cliff Brown’s star sprinter Debt Collector led home an NZ-bred quinella Chairman’s Trophy when he rose to the challenge from Countofmontecristo in the last 100m.
Debt Collector (Thorn Park x Promp Payment by In The Wings) had a long neck to spare from Countofmontecristo for the second time in a row after the pair finished in the same order at their last clash over 1400m on March 10.Debt Collector is a product of Windsor Park Stud and was purchased out of their draft for $30,000 at the 2014 National Yearling Sale before making his way to Brown’s stable after the trainer outlaid $120,000 for him at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale later that year.
On Sunday he recorded the 12th win of his 23-start career, eight of them at black-type level. He took his prize-money earnings past the S$3 million mark for owners the Barree Stable.Countofmontecristo cost $57,500 at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. Singapore’s champion three-year-old of his year, he has had 21 starts for seven wins, eight placings and more than S$1.2 million in prize-money.
Third-placed Preditor was a $75,000 purchase at the 2014 Premier Sale. He has recorded seven wins and five placings in his 30-start career, earning more than S$450,000.