The Hong Kong Jockey Club came away from the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale with five colts purchased for a total outlay of AU$3.235 million (approx. HK$19.017 million).

Of the quintet, Lot 329 fell the Club’s way for AU$1 million and is closely related to the Group 1-winning Vega One, while his half-brother, Man In The Mirror, won on debut in Sydney before narrowly missing in the 2022 G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

His sire, Zoustar, needs no introduction and boasts a proven track record in Hong Kong of consistent winners built for speed who have shown plenty of early prowess – his winners at the top-level as a stallion includes Sunlight and Zoutori, while in Hong Kong – Healthy Happy won last year’s Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) as well as January’s G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m).

A strong and athletic son of Dundeel was the first to fall the Club’s way – Lot 22 out of the mare Whispering Brook for AU$525,000. Regally bred, Whispering Brook was a 10-time winner on the track including a pair of Group 2s and three Group 3s, while also placing third to Global Glamour in the 2016 G1 Thousand Guineas (1600m). This is her first foal.

Exceed And Excel produced none other than the brilliant triple Group 1-winning Mr Stunning and the Club went to lengths to land Lot 107 – one of his progeny out of the mare Cheetara for AU$400,000. The colt is a half-sibling to Single Bullet – a Group 3-winning sprinter who banked AU$538,165 (approx. HK$3.192 million) for connections.

Per Incanto shot the lights out last season at the top of the stallion rankings through the 2020/21 racing season in Hong Kong and the Club went to AU$560,000 to secure Lot 299 – one his progeny out of the mare Monarch. The bay is a full brother to Santa Monica – winner of the 2019 G1 Railway Stakes (1200m) in New Zealand.

Deep Field has shown his qualities as a sire in Hong Kong on both the turf and dirt and the gavel fell the Club’s way at AU$750,000 for Lot 469. His dam – The Soloist is a half-sister to none other than Hot King Prawn, while Deep Field’s exploits in Hong Kong this season includes Sky Field, winner of the 2021 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m). 

Purchase details:

Lot 22 b c Dundeel ex Whispering Brook (Hinchinbrook) AU$525,000 (approx. HK$3,086,000)

Lot 107 b c Exceed And Excel ex Cheetara (More Than Ready) AU$400,000 (approx. HK$2,351,000)

Lot 299 b c Per Incanto ex Monarch (Volksraad) AU$560,000 (approx. HK$3,292,000)

Lot 329 b c Zoustar ex One More Honey (Onemorenomore) AU$1,000,000 (approx. HK$5,879,000)

Lot 469 br c Deep Field ex The Soloist (Smart Missile) AU$750,000 (approx. HK$4,409,000)