HONG KONG: Honours Bestowed On Sacred Kingdom

Wednesday, 18 July 2012: Former champion sprinter Sacred Kingdom has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award and immortalised with the launch of a memorabilia publication in Hong Kong.

Sacred Kingdom Photo by Racing and Sports

The Hong Kong Jockey Club bestowed a lifetime achievement award on Sacred Kingdom  on the final day of the 2011/12 season on July 15.

In recognition of the horse's great contribution to Hong Kong as well as international racing, owner Mr Sin Kang Yuk was presented a trophy by HKJC chairman Brian Stevenson

On July 16 a distinguished group of guests witnessed the launch of an 87 page Sacred Kingdom memorabilia.

Compiled and published by Hong Kong Racing World Publications, the Sacred Kingdom Memorabilia contains form records, race diary and seven interviews with people related to the four-time Hong Kong Champion Sprinter.

The interview subjects are owner Sin Kang Yuk, trainer Ricky Yiu, jockeys Brett Prebble and Danny Nikolic, breeder Andy Calvert, auctioneer Peter Heagney and Clarry Conners, the Sydney trainer who broke in the champion.

An auction of the first copy of the Sacred Kingdom Memorabilia was held during the launch with HK$33,800 raised for the Hong Kong Riding For Disabled Association.

Owner Sin Kang Yuk was also presented with a trophy acknowledging his support and effort in the racing industry, especially with the achievements from Sacred Kingdom.

Bred by the Calvert Family and sold from their Kornong Stud Farm draft as a yearling in 2005 to trainer Ricky Yiu for A$200,000, Sacred Kingdom won a total of 17 races during his career and HK$45,831,144 in prizemoney.

The seven-time G1 winner was from the sixth crop by Encosta de Lago, which finished the 2011/12 Hong Kong season as the leading sire by prizemoney thanks to 14 individual winners, including G1 winner Liberator.

Sacred Kingdom is returning to Australia to retire to Kornong Stud Farm in Victoria where he was bred and raised.