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Karaka graduates filled the first four placings in Sunday’s $HK20 million Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin won by defending champion Mr Stunning.
A son of Exceed and Excel, Mr Stunning was bought for $250,000 by Hong Kong’s Magnus Equine at the 2014 Karaka Premier Sale from the Lyndhurst Stud draft.
Lyndhurst had previously pinhooked the youngster as a weanling for $110,000 at Melbourne’s Great Southern Sale.He reaffirmed his claim to Hong Kong sprinting supremacy with a repeat of last year’s result, narrowly defeating his gallant rival D B Pin (Darci Brahma) who was a $200,000 purchase at the same sale in 2014.
The third placegetter Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) was bought for $200,000 from the 2015 NZB Ready to Run Sale. Fourth home Little Giant (Swiss Ace) was passed in at the 2014 Select Sale and began his career in New Zealand under the name Blackcrown.Mr Stunning, trained by Frankie Lor and ridden by Karis Teetan, stalked the leaders in third position before surging to the front 200 metres from the finish.
D B Pin chased hard on his inside with Beat The Clock flashing home out wide, but Mr Stunning held them out by three-quarters of a length. The time was a fast 1:08.85.Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel x With Fervour by Dayjur) has now had 22 starts for 11 wins, eight placings and $HK45.84 million prizemoney, which is the equivalent of $NZ8.53 million – more than 34 times his purchase price.
Mr Stunning is among 151 stakes winners and 11 G1 winners by Exceed And Excel.HIs dam With Fervour, a half sister to five-time G1 winner With Anticipation, died in 2014 after producing only one other foal.
Runner-up D B Pin, a close relative to last season’s Karaka Million winner and champion New Zealand two-year-old Avantage (Fastnet Rock), has earned in excess of 19 times his purchase price.