A gelding by I Am Invincible returned the highest price at the 2025 Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS) on Friday night (7 March) at Sha Tin after fetching a bid of HK$5 million.

Lot 12 was purchased by Philip Liu for the sale-leading figure. The youngster is a half-brother to the Group 1-winning Summer Passage, while I Am Invincible’s notable progeny to race in Hong Kong is Group 2 winner Wishful Thinker and 2024 HKIS graduate Markwin – an earner of HK$3.76 million including a HK$1 million ISG Bonus.  

So Wing Keung purchased Lot 5 – the evening’s second highest buy for HK$4.6 million. The gelding has ties to 2004 Hong Kong Derby winner Lucky Owners, while his dam Andresa is a full sister to four-time Group 1-winning mare Mosheen.

Lots 15 and 17 both went for HK$4 million. The HKJC Racing Club Limited secured Lot 15 – a bay son of Siyouni, whose main offspring is eight-time winner Leading Fortune.

Lot 17 fell the way of Alan Chan. The chestnut is by Lope de Vega – also the sire of six-time Hong Kong winner Fast Most Furious.

The HKJC Racing Club Limited also scooped Lot 16 for HK$2 million – a brown son of Per Incanto, sire of nine-time winner Duke Wai, six-time winner Raging Blizzard, among others. The youngster is a full brother to Baby Crystal – a victor at Sha Tin last January.

Yan Qing Lin landed Lot 6 for HK$3.6 million – a bay of son of Deep Field, whose dam The Soloist is a half-sibling to Group 1-winning Hong Kong sprinter Hot King Prawn.

Lots 9 and 14 both sold for HK$3.2 million. Cheung Kwai Po bought Lot 9 – a brown son of No Nay Never, sire of 2024 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Massive Sovereign.

Cheung Kwok Wing – owner in partnership of the likes of six-time winner Blaze Warrior as well as Circuit Stellar – collected Lot 14. The bay is by Smart Missile – sire of HK$8.57 million earner Green N White.

Louis Pong opened the evening with a successful HK$2.6 million bid for Lot 1 – a bay gelding by Toronado, while Lot 2 went for HK$1.2 million to Lee Lit Lung – owner in partnership of three-time winner Must Go.

Fong Ching landed Lot 4 – a Toronado gelding for HK$2.6 million. Lots 8 and 18 also fetched HK$2.6 million.

Lot 8 is a grey son of Darci Brahma bought by Fung Kok Po – owner of the ‘Smiling’ series of horses, including the currently active Smiling Collector and Smiling Emperor.

Lot 18 went to Edwin Fong – who currently races two-time winner Parents’ Love with legendary trainer Tony Cruz.

Kitten’s Joy will have his second Hong Kong-based runner after Top Ace with Lot 7 – a chestnut just like his American-bred sire – who sold for HK$2.5 million to Yip Shu Bun.

Mr Danny Rolston, Executive Manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We’ve put some really nice horses up, we were really selective on the final group that we offered to the market.

“As you would know from the withdrawal list, we took out the horses that weren’t suitable for sale right at this point – some of those will be made available for sale at a later stage – but what we did offer here tonight are horses that we have a lot of confidence in. Some of the horses at the lower end of the market this year, we’re absolutely positive that there’s some great value in hand.

“I think the market has dictated that horses aren’t worth the same as what they perhaps were two years ago and we’re confident that we’ve released some really nice horses into the market for our permit holders and in another 12 months we’ll be telling more stories like Markwin and New Future Folks and permit holders have come to the international sale and they’ve actually got value and they’ve been able to buy horses that are right here and ready to train and have a pretty good chance of going and winning a race in their first 12 months and being a chance in their four-year-old season.

The average of the sale was HK$3.006 million, the median price was HK$2.6 million, while the total sale returned HK$45.1 million.