Dubawi four-year-old Lucky Nine, who started his racing career under the name Luck Or Design, beat a quality field to land the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile, slated locally as a Group 1 contest and a build-up race to the Hong Kong Derby on 20 March.
Bred in Ireland by Darley, Lucky Nine is out of Birjand (Green Desert) and thus bred on the same cross as two of Dubawi's other Stakes horses, the 2,000 Guineas winner Makfi and Listed winner Zubbaya. He won in the country of his birth at two before being sold to Hong Kong where he won the G3 National Day Cup last October.
His opponents on Sunday included G2 Vintage Stakes winner Xtension (by Darley Japan stallion Xaar), who finished second, last year’s New Zealand Derby winner Military Move and Free Judgement, runner-up to Canford Cliffs in last season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas. Another Dubawi colt, Outdoor Pegasus (formerly known as Kavak), finished fourth in the race.
Over in Tasmania, an impressive front running display saw two-year-old filly Chinchilla hold all challengers to secure the Listed Elwick Stakes in Hobart run over 1100m.
The Lee Freedman-trained filly is yet another exciting juvenile prospect by Exceed And Excel, whose best progeny include G1 Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort and 2010 Group winners Klammer and Electric Waves.
Exceed And Excel had yearlings sell for up to $460,000 (£285,000) at the recent Magic Millions yearling sale on Australia’s Gold Coast and he has now returned to Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, where he will stand for the northern hemisphere breeding season at a fee of £12,000 (October 1, SLF).
There was also posthumous success on the same card for former Darley sire Sinsgpiel, whose three-year-old daughter Ludka made all to win the Listed Hobart Guineas.
