Strong trade at the Hong Kong International Sale, held at Sha Tin the day before the HK International races, demonstrated the strength of racing in Hong Kong, with the keenest bidding being reserved for a two-year-old son of Exceed And Excel, who topped the sale at HK$ 5.7 million.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club originally bought 36 yearlings for this breeze-up sale, but stringent pre-sale veterinary monitoring meant that only 19 were offered, the aim being to ensure that those offered genuinely are suitable for racing. The Exceed And Excel gelding duly passed the test and then found favour with bidders too, being eventually knocked down to local owner Tung Moon Fai.
A son of the Zabeel mare Dubai Express, the Exceed And Excel gelding is a from the immediate family of successful West Australian-based sire Oratorio, a Stakes winner in both Melbourne and Brisbane in his racing days when trained by Lee Freedman. He was originally sold by his breeder Whakanui Stud at this year’s NZB Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka when bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for NZ$350,000. He has thrived in the interim – as the fact that his price has increased by approximately 400% suggests - and caught the attention of potential bidders with a very impressive pre-sale breeze at Sha Tin last week.
