An eye-catching chestnut gelding by Zoustar has topped the 2023 Hong Kong International Sale after attracting a bid of HK$8.6 million this evening (Friday, 30 June) as 15 lots sold for a total return of HK$71.6 million, up from HK$71 million in 2022.

By the same sire as 2021 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Healthy Happy, Lot 13 went to owner Angela Yeung and was one of two horses sold tonight for over HK$8 million in Sha Tin’s Parade Ring.

The first was Lot 10, a bay gelding by No Nay Never, who went for HK$8.4 million to Peter Lau, owner of 2021 Hong Kong International Sale graduate Romantic Warrior, subsequent earner of HK$84.36 million in prize money for Lau as a HK$4.8 million purchase.

A bay gelding by Tavistock opened the evening’s action with a sale price of HK$6 million, while 10 of the horses that went through the ring sold for over HK$4 million, including Lot 7, a bay gelding by Invincible Spirit, whose progeny includes Danyah – winner of the 2023 G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) at Meydan in Dubai last March.

Angela Yeung also purchased Lot 11, a Written Tycoon gelding out the mare Lady Gracious for HK$5.6 million as well as Lot 3, a bay gelding by I Am Invincible out of the mare Solar Moon for HK$2.6 million.

Mr Danny Rolston, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services, said: “We’ve seen a really successful running of the Hong Kong International Sale for 2023. There was a record turnout of permit holders here to join in the event and we really feel like we’ve delivered on the client hospitality.

“We knew we had nice horses so we came into this knowing that the sale would be healthy and we put success of the sales results down to two things – and both relate to confidence.”

The sale average rose to HK$4.77 million this year, up from HK$4.17 million in 2022.

“Primarily, the confidence in the Hong Kong racing is so high with the continued increased prize money and the motivation by owners to stay involved and replenish with these nice horses is really high and secondly the systems we’ve got in place with the Hong Kong International Sale,” Mr Rolston said.

“We’ve seen a great year with the graduates on the track. Owners are really respecting the processes we’ve put in place in that we’ve been not only very selective but the processes we put them through with their education but, more importantly, the assessment we’re putting on these horses.

“Even though we’ve had strong results across the board with the sale, we haven’t necessarily really made any profit tonight – it’s about bringing the best horses that we have, the soundest horses that we have and making them available to the owners here tonight and we feel that we’ve achieved that with the success of the sale today.

“This isn’t the end of the road for us. It’s only the halfway point. The winning post for us is out on the racecourse and that’s where we really judge our success.

“The average is just a little over HK$4.7 million, so it is a slight increase on last year which, of course, makes us happy but most importantly is that we’ve put on a good event here for our owners and supplied them with some really high-quality horses.”

Trainer Caspar Fownes closed out the evening with a HK$4 million winning bid for Lot 18, a bay gelding by Acclamation.

The median sale price in 2022 was HK$3.6 million, while this evening it reached HK$4.4 million.