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Australian-breds made a clean sweep of the Group One double at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Contentment (Hussonet) captured the G1 Champions Mile while Lucky Bubbles (Sebring) took out the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, leading home a first four filled by Australian-bred runners ahead of Mr Stunning, Not Listenin’tome and Thewizardofoz.
Contentment snared his second G1 win after winning the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup last year.
His earnings are now more than $HK34 million (approx. $A5.9 million) from 10 wins and six placings in 29 starts.Contentment cost $65,000 at the 2012 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale where he was purchased by bloodstock agent John Foote, wel known for his successful purchases for Hong Kong clients including the legendary sprinter Silent Witness, Luger and Entrapment.
He purchased Contentment on behalf of Price Bloodstock. He is trained by John Size and was ridden by Brett Prebble.Contentment, trained by John Size, is the second Australian-bred in the last three years to win the Champions Mile.
He is out of the Commands mare Jemison, also the dam of the winner Alabama Charge (Charge Forward).His second dam Vista Vincere (Scenic) is a sister to the G2 placed Breathtaker and a half-sister to G1 winner and sire Align (Night Shift).
Vista Vincere is also a half-sister to the G1 placed dam of Fritz’s Princess (More Than Ready), winner of the G2 Shorts at Randwick in 2008.Contentment is one of 96 stakes winners and 30 G1 winners for the late Hussonet who died last year at the age of 25.
Hussonet also features in the pedigree of Lucky Bubbles as his dam sire.Fighting off a fast finishing Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel), Lucky Bubbles (Sebring x Buble Below by Hussonet) was a popular winner for trainer Francis Lui and the aptly named Lucky Syndicate.
Bred by Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm in Victoria, Lucky Bubbles was sold by Three Bridges Stud at the 2013 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $90,000.Lucky Bubbles had two starts in Australia including a maiden win at Wyong in 2014 before heading to Hong Kong where he has now compiled seven wins and seven placings from 17 outings for $HK27 million (approx. $A4.7 million) in stakes.
He deserved Sunday’s win as it came 12 months after he finished second in the 2016 Chairman’s Sprint where he overhauled on the line by champion Australian sprinter Chautauqua.Lucky Bubbles is the fourth G1 winner by Sebring and second in 24 hours after his daughter Egg Tart won the Australasian Oaks in Adelaide on Saturday.
Sebring has sired 29 stakes winners overall. His other G1 winners Dissident and Criterion are now at stud.Lucky Bubbles is one of four named foals out of the stakes-placed mare Bubble Below), a three-quarter sister to the G2 winner Colorado Claire, herself the dam of this season G2 winning 2YO Gunnison (Not A Single Doubt).
Bubble Below is also a half-sister to the dual stakes-winner Lunaspur (Flying Spur), the dam of G2 winner Moonovermanhattan (Manhattan Rain), and also the unraced dam of G3 winner Selenia (Not A Single Doubt).His third dam Luna Blue (Cure The Blues) is a half-sister to former leading sire Linamix (Mendez).
