Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
While China Horse Club’s The Chase may be new to the consignment scene in Australia across the last 12 months, as a breeder China Horse Club has been responsible for some top-line racehorses domestically and abroad in a short space of time.
Their star line-up has achieved outstanding stakes successes both in Australia and overseas, quickly establishing themselves as breeders of top-quality stock. Here we take a look at some of the standouts produced by the China Horse Club breeding program.
Communist
Communist (Russian Revolution) is a 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate, selling for $160,000 to his trainer Michael Freedman. A winning 2-year-old, he came of age this season as a 3-year-old and climbed through the ranks, three times placing at stakes level before his breakthrough success came in a devastating 1.3l victory in the G1 Randwick Guineas. His total prizemoney now sits at just over $940,000.
“He’s (Communist) an incredibly exciting horse. A Group 1-winning 3-year-old, he ran Anamoe to a length at weight-for-age conditions in the G1 George Ryder recently and lines up in the Doncaster as a genuine light weight chance. He’ll likely go to the paddock after that, but he profiles like a serious weight-for-age horse for next season and beyond.” - Michael Smith
Communist | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Revolutionary Miss
Now a 3-year-old filly, Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) was a 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, bought by Triple Crown Syndications for $195,000. She got her career off to a great start as a juvenile, finishing runner-up behind subsequent G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Fireburn (Rebel Dane) on debut.
Second, on her next start in the G2 Widden Stud S., behind another top-class juvenile in Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible), she then took out the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) before placing second in the feature race, the G1 Blue Diamond itself.
She’s continued to perform consistently at stakes level this season and lately won the G2 Kewney S., taking her earnings close to the $1 million mark.
“She (Revolutionary Miss) epitomises the type of race horse we’re trying to breed. She had the precocity to nearly win a Blue Diamond at two, and the class to stretch out and nearly win a Thousand Guineas at three and has picked up multiple Group 2 wins along the way. She’s done it all bar win a Group 1 as yet but as far as I’m concerned she's a deadset star.” - Michael Smith
Revolutionary Miss | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Dame Giselle
Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible) was sold to Go Bloodstock for $500,000 at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Now a 5-year-old mare, she was an excellent pre-Christmas juvenile, finishing second on debut in the Kirkham Plate before taking out the $1,000,000 Golden Gift. She continued to improve throughout that season, winning the G2 Reisling S. and contesting the G1 Golden Slipper S.
She was no less effective as an older horse, winning three Group 2 races in succession at the start of her Classic campaign, to be crowned the overall winner of the Darley Princess Series, finishing her career with of over $1.3 million.
“High class at two and three, she’s (Dame Giselle) the kind of filly you dream about breeding and was a magnificent flag-bearer for Sir Owen Glenn’s gold silks. To open her winning account in a million-dollar race before going on to win 4 Group 2 races and be Group 1-placed is about as good as it gets without knocking off that elusive Group 1.” - Michael Smith
Dame Giselle | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Giannis
A $67,500 weanling purchase by Rhys Smith from the 2019 Magic Millions Weanling Sale and from the first crop of G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Flying Artie, Giannis was a high-level juvenile for Chris Waller, contesting the G3 Canonbury S. on debut and then placing in the Pierro Plate. He would go on to finish that season with a gallant second in the G1 JJ Atkins S., stamping himself as an elite 2-year-old. He returned as a 3-year-old with a victory in the Listed Dulcify S., and has earned over $350,000 overall.
“He (Giannis) was found by Rhys Smith as a very affordable weanling before going on to be a terrifically exciting 2-year-old for him and his partners, culminating in a super runner-up performance in the JJ Atkins.” - Michael Smith
Giannis | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Meritable
Passed in for $300,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Meritable (Snitzel) was retained to race by China Horse Club and sent to Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman to be trained in New Zealand.
Debuting as a 3-year-old, he showed immediate promise. After getting off the mark on his second start, he ran fourth in the G2 Hawke's Bay Guineas. After, he backed that up with a second at the same level on his next start before going on to be a brave runner-up in the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas.
“We aim to put reasonable reserves on all the stock we bring to auction and he (Meritable) failed to meet his and as such we put him into to training. He repaid our faith in him on the track and for a few moments during the NZ 2000 Guineas he nearly looked like he was going to win a Group 1. Regardless, he was terrifically hardy and genuine – two qualities you can't have enough of in a racehorse.” - Michael Smith
Meritable | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
International Graduates
Kimari
Sold to Eaton Sales at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale in 2018 for US$152,000 (AU$227,300), Kimari (USA) (Munnings {USA}) was another brilliant and tough filly trained by Wesley Ward. Joining his Royal Ascot team in 2019, she finished runner-up in the G2 Queen Mary S. as a juvenile. Gaining a black-type win on her next start back in the States, she returned to Royal Ascot the following year and again finished runner-up, this time in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.
She got her Grade 1 in the Madison S. at Keeneland last year and was subsequently sold to M.V. Magnier for US$2.7 million (AU$4.04 million) at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Securing two further victories at Grade 2 level, her total earnings exceed US$1.1 million (AU$1.64 million).
“She (Kimari) had speed to burn! Runner-up performances in key Royal Ascot sprints at two and three years old before getting her Grade 1 at Keeneland to illustrate her class. Now owned by Coolmore and partners, she will get a terrific chance to grow her legacy in the breeding shed going forward.” - Michael Smith
Watch: Kimari (USA) winning the G1 Madison S. at Keeneland
Saffron Beach
Sold as a foal, Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) showed her class as a late-season juvenile, capturing Newmarket’s G3 Oh So Sharp S. She returned as a 3-year-old and was narrowly denied Classic success when runner-up in the G1 1000 Guineas back at Newmarket, but later that season returned to the same venue to win the G1 Sun Chariot S. After winning at Royal Ascot as a 4-year-old, she added the G1 Prix Rothschild to her CV, before reaching 3.6 million gns (AU$6.78 million) at the 2022 Tattersalls December Mares Sales.
“A dual Group 1 winner, including one at Royal Ascot. It's hard to do better than that. She (Saffron Beach) was duly one of the stars of the 2022 Tatts Mare Sale and starts her second career in the breeding shed this year for new owners Najd Stud.” - Michael Smith
Watch: Saffron Beach (Ire) winning the G1 Prix Rothschild
