Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)
Already a dual Group 3 winner, last season's Champion 4YO was having his first run since taking out the G3 Premier Plate in late June and there looks to be even bigger things in store for Galaxy Patch with his rider Vincent Ho full of praise for the South Australian-bred galloper.
“He has got great talent, and he will be the next future star, I would say,” he told the press, adding that he is the horse who can “probably replace Golden Sixty at the mile.”
“He (Galaxy Patch) has got great talent, and he will be the next future star... (he can) probably replace Golden Sixty at the mile.” - Vincent Ho
High praise indeed!
“At the moment, he is only 70 per cent fit and based on his form last season he would have smashed them more easily today, but it was enough for him to win today.”
“He is still maturing of course. Once he relaxes, he can put the race to sleep as he has a great turn of foot. This is early season for him, his preparation is going very well.”
Trainer Pierre Ng was also delighted, noting that Galaxy Patch has progressed since his last highly successful campaign.
Pierre Ng | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He did grow a bit taller and in his track work he just feels like he doesn't have to use any energy at all; he definitely looks like he has improved from last season.”
“He is more professional, more relaxed,” he said of the horse whose next assignment is the G2 Jockey Club Mile on November 17.
“He is the sort of horse every trainer wants to train, we are looking forward to the Jockey Club mile and then December,” Ng said.
Bred by Summerset Park Stud, Galaxy Patch was purchased for $50,000 by Will Clarken, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) and David Jolly at the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Galaxy Patch as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
A son of Larneuk Stud's G1 Australian Guineas winner Wandjina, he is one of the eight winners from as many foals produced by the unraced Voltara (More Than Ready {USA}); also dam of the stakes placed city winners Comearoundsundown (Not A Single Doubt) and Creativity (Master Of Design).
He is the penultimate foal for his dam who died last year, her final foal being the last start Morphettville winner Voltage Point (Artie Schiller {USA}).
Summerset Park's Rob and Maureen McBryde declared themselves “stoked” by Galaxy Patch's latest success, excited to be taking a relation to next year's Melbourne Premier; a Gold Standard colt out of Inca Flame (Hussonet {USA}), half-sister to Galaxy Patch's dam. Her son Magic Cosmos (Toronado {Ire}) also bred by Summerset is close to his Hong Kong debut.
Wandjina | Standing at Larneuk Stud
Meanwhile Larneuk Stud's Neville Murdoch is considering a December trip to Hong Kong to cheer on Wandjina's best son.
Quinella for Toronado
Another Victorian stud had reason to cheer a Sha Tin result with Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) represented by a quinella in the second event, Savvy Brilliant and Captain Win; the former doing a good job at just his second Hong Kong start.
Impressive saluting at his Mornington debut for the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable in January (racing as Gallaroo), Savvy Brilliant was bred by United Syndications and purchased for $160,000 by Freedman Racing and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA) at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He is the second foal for Liberty Made (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), a lightly raced unplaced mare also bred (and raced) by United Syndications whose Peter Creighton confessed to having “mixed emotions” upon witnessing Savvy Brilliant's success.
“It is very pleasing in that it proves that I made the right decision at the right time in regards to the mating,” he said, chuckling as he said “I'm an international success story now!”
“But I was in two minds when we sold him; he was bred by a syndicate and the thought was always to race one, sell one which funds everything and he was the one to be sold. I would like to have kept him but we couldn't. But we are happy to see that he looks like being a good horse.”
Toronado (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud
Savvy Brilliant's dam Liberty Made was sold for $8500 online via Inglis Digital in late May, carrying a foal by In The Congo.
David Hayes cheers home a double
David Hayes enjoyed a good day with a double; Awesome Treasure (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and Stellar Swift (Starspangledbanner).
The former, was the first Hayes trained winner for Britney Wong who was excited to succeed for the stable and who was happy throughout the race.
“Once I put him in the lead, he did everything right,” she told the media, “He knew what to do and turning into the straight I had 100 per cent confidence in him, it was an awesome win.”
“He is the perfect horse for Britney,” David Hayes said, noting that “he got attacked in the middle (stages) but didn't panic. This honest as he always fights, I am thrilled.”
Bred by the Scoular family with S J Tothill, Awesome Treasure made his way to Hong Kong off a trial victory at Taupo having been passed in at the Ready to Run. He is a half-brother to the G3 New Zealand Cup winner Bizzwinkle (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).
His stable mate Stellar Swift broke through for his first Hong Kong win at his seventh attempt with Hayes noting that he is likely to be at his best over a mile, this win coming at the 1400 metres.
Bred by Gilgai Farm, he was purchased by McKeever Bloodstock and Dabernig Racing for $160,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Racing once for Lindsay Park as Stellar Olympus, he won a nice 2-year-old race (the Next Generation Sprinters Series Final) at Flemington in July last year with Hayes at the time describing him as "a pretty exciting prospect."
Stellar Swift is a full brother to this year's Listed Cinderella S. winner Herastar (Starspangledbanner) out of the dual Group 2 winner Hera (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) from the family of the Group 1 winners Polanski, Dandy Andy (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}) and Ballroom Babe (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}) as well as the Hong Kong stakes winner Hidden Dragon.
Two promising Australian-bred horses
Two other Australian bred horses were in the winners stall and both look promising; Lucy In The Sky (No Nay Never {USA}) and Wunderbar (Rich Enuff).
Now a three-time winner from just eight starts in Hong Kong, Lucy In The Sky was bred by Cobra Bloodstock out of the city placed two time winner Spiced (Exceed And Excel), a half-sister to the stakes winners Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}) and Solemn (Bernardini {USA}) from the family of the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt).
He was a NZ$60,000 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale purchase for C H Ngai whilst Wunderbar was bought by Richard and Chantelle Jolly for $140,000 at the 2022 Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Bred in South Australia by Real Time Investments, he won a Morphettville trial as Before Crypto. He is one of four winners for the unraced Could Be Something (General Nediym), a half-sister to the G1 Golden Slipper S. and RL Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic winner Phelan Ready (More Than Ready {USA}).
Beaten only once in seven Hong Kong starts, he still, reported jockey Zac Purton, has upside.
“Like all of John Size’s horses, he’s improved with the run and he’s going the right way. He just has to learn to switch off a little bit better in the middle stages.”
A trio of winners for New Zealand
New Zealand-bred horses won three races on the card; Patch Of Cosmo (NZ) (Super Seth), Charmander (NZ) (Shooting To Win) and Family Jewel (NZ) (Time Test {GB}).
Bred by Waikato Stud, Patch Of Cosmo was purchased by Richard Racing for NZ$70,000 at Karaka last year, again going through the ring at the NZB Ready to Run Sale where he was secured by K M Yeung for NZ$260,000.
He hails from the famous “The” family which New Zealand breeders have been nurturing over generations; being the first foal for the winner Thee (NZ) (Savabeel) whose dual stakes winning dam Thy (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) is out of the Group 2 mare Star Affair (NZ) (Star Way {GB}), in turn daughter of the two time Listed winner The Grin (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}).
Bred by Monovale Holdings, Charmander was purchased by David Ellis for NZ$30,000 at the 2019 Karaka May Sale. He raced four times in New Zealand, in March 2022 winning two in a row before heading to Hong Kong.
Out of a full sister to the South African-based Group 3 winner Ma Choix (Choisir), the David Hall trained 6-year-old hails from the family of a high achieving Hong Kong galloper, the two-time Champion Sprinter Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins)
Bred by J R O'Brien, Family Jewel is a a NZ$52,000 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale graduate purchased by for G R Vile and sold on to R Fownes for NZ$75,000 at the Ready to Run.
A Taupo trial winner in January, he is the final foal produced by the retired mare Awesome (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), also dam of the three time Hong Kong winner Victorious Leader (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}).
