Saturday, 24 July 2010: Coolmore sires have dominated the Hong Kong racing season for 2009/2010.
Danehill Dancer topped the HK sires list from another Coolmore stalwart Encosta de Lago.
Both were represented by some of the stars of the season including Hong Kong Derby winner Super Satin (Danehill Dancer x Mantles Princess, by Rock City) and HK Horse of the Year Sacred Kingdom ( Encosta de Lago x Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave).
With 18 winners on the board, Encosta de Lago has more winners in Hong Kong than any other sire this season reflecting the demand for his progeny that has increased parallel to the emergence of Sacred Kingdom over the past three seasons.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club again purchased three of his colts this year, while other obvious HK buyers to secure his stock were Ricky Yiu, Magus Equine and Apollo Ng.
The Encosta de Lago stock have a toughness and longevity about them that appeals to the Hong Kong buyer seeking a horse capable of performing regularly over a number of seasons.
The seven year-old gelding Ultra Fantasy (Encosta de Lago x Belle Anglaise, by Sir Ivor) is an example.
The Ricky Yiu trained second stringer to stable star Sacred Kingdom was competitive with his more glamourous stablemate in many of the big sprints this season and posted a stakes victory over Green Birdie and Happy Zero in the G2 Sha Tin Sprint Cup.
With eight wins and 14 placings from 47 starts, he's a horse that has given a lot of pleasure to his owners since his arrival in Hong Kong as a three year-old.
Danehill Dancer is not coming to Australia this spring but will have yearlings at the sales next year and foals on the ground this spring in what will be his last for the Southern Hemisphere as declining fertility has curtailed his shuttling career.
Leading Hong Kong Sires by Earnings 2009/2010 Stallion | | Rnrs | Wnrs | SW | Earnings | | Danehill Dancer | | 25 | 9 | 2(2) | $34,660,238 | | Encosta de Lago | | 31 | 18 | 2(4) | $32,041,325 | | O'Reilly | | 30 | 14 | 1(2) | $28,470,437 | | Cape Cross | | 13 | 9 | 1(3) | $17,438,375 | | Peintre Celebre | | 4 | 3 | 1(2) | $13,350,625 | |
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