Deep Field two-year-old tops Hong Kong International Sale
A son of Newgate’s Deep Field (Northern Meteor) topped yesterday’s Hong Kong International Sale after attracting a bid of HK$7.8 million (approx. AU$1.45 million) at the Sha Tin parade ring as all 17 lots offered realised a total of HK$71 million (approx. AU$13.19 million).
By the same sire as Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Sky Field and a host of other Hong Kong winners including The Golden Scenery, Californiadeepshot and Winning Dreamer, the athletic chestnut , who was listed as Lot 11, was one of four lots to top HK$5 million (approx. AU$ 929,000).
Underscoring the popularity of Deep Field, who holds the Hong Kong single season record for prize-money earned by progeny, the two-year-old, who is out of the More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Bousquet, was the subject of a bidding tussle before being knocked down to Yue Yun Hing.
The Yue family, who have raced a host of successful runners in Hong Kong including Panfield (Lookin At Lucky) and Butterfield (Setembro Chove), also claimed the second highest-lot at the sale with the HK$7 million (approx. AU$1.3 million) purchase of Lot 7, a gelded son of Starspangledbanner (Choisir) to Edmond Yue Kwok Yin.
Lot 15, a chestnut gelding by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) out of the Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Houston Benefactor, was purchased by Yip Wing Kui for HK$5.8 million (approx AU$1.08 million), while Lot 4, a bay gelding by Fastnet Rock (Danehill) out of the Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago) mare Diana’s Star, was secured by Philip Liu Chun Hang for HK$5 million (approx. AU$929,125).
The sale average was HK$4.1 million (approx. AU$761,800), up from $HK2.95 million in 2021, while the median reached HK$3.6 million (approx. AU$668,900), up from $2.8 million in 2021.
Danny Rolston, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s executive manager, owners advisory services, said: “With significant increases in average and gross turnover, the club is overall really happy with the outcome of the sale. The strong results are a reflection of the Hong Kong Jockey Club members’ confidence in the horses that have been selected for the sale, the results of the graduates that have come out of the sale, but most importantly the confidence and strength of Hong Kong racing, and this is a reflection of the significant increases in prize- money for next season.
“I think the two top lots were fairly obviously going to be the highlight horses, they breezed particularly well and they’re both by stallions that are very popular. Beyond that it’s really hard to predict what the horses are going to sell for and just how much the turnover will be but we’re very happy to see such a significant increase in gross turnover.
“While we sold 17 horses here today, that was just the select group of horses that was decided were completely well suited to the environment in Hong Kong to be offered at the sale. There’s still 12 that didn’t come to the sale and that is a reflection of the standard that we have before we even bring them through for the auction.”