'He could bring me to another level' - Hong Kong runner Sagacious Life bringing new year cheer for Lopes

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Lopes Bloodstock is going truly worldwide after Hong Kong performer Sagacious Life highlighted his obvious potential with an exciting victory at Sha Tin earlier this month. 

Felipe Lopes, who has spent many years working for Juddmonte, has also carved out a reputation for securing deals for stallion prospects heading to South America including the likes of Group winners Sangarius and Array. This latest venture originates from Brazil but it could bear plenty of fruit under the dramatic skylines of Asia.

On how he sold Sagacious Life, now a leading player for Hong Kong's biggest four-year-old prizes and sports the colours of Leslie Lui Chi Yuen, Lopes said: "I got a phone call from the guy who is the owner representative in Hong Kong. He was looking for a horse for the [Hong Kong] Derby and I had Sagacious Life on my radar, the horse had very good form in Brazil. He finished second in the first leg of the Triple Crown and then second in the second leg before winning the Derby."

Sagacious Life has made the smooth transition to life in Hong Kong, racing three times for two wins, having landed the Group 1 Derby Paulista in Brazil when named Navio Fantasma. 

The most recent of his Hong Kong victories came in a competitive Class 2 handicap over a mile on January 4. The chestnut asserted comfortably at the line to defeat a field which included former Juddmonte runner Windlord, a winner of the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown in July and Group-placed when third behind the exciting Merchant in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Soleil Fighter, who was known as Connemara Coast when trained in Britain by Richard Hughes, was second. 

Lopes said of Sagacious Life: "He's a special horse for me because I just got my name in the Hong Kong bloodstock agents' list. He's officially my first horse on the list, which is special. He could bring me to another level, it's not every day you get a horse who could win the Derby."

The gelding is by US Grade 2 winner Put It Back, himself a son of Michael Tabor's Grade 1 victor Honour And Glory, and out of Trempolino mare Quatro Islas. The sire had started his career in Florida but his shuttling to Brazil led him to relocate there and he duly became champion sire. 

Breeder Haras Santa Maria de Araras have stood a number of leading sires and bred a number of champions, including 2021-22 Brazilian horse of the year In Essence.

Lopes said: "He's bred by the best breeders in Brazil and one of the best in South America, while the sire is a very good stallion as well."

Sagacious Life could become another top-class winner for his sire, who died late in November 2021, aged 23. There is an established path for the best of the young generation in what is known as Four-Year-Old Classic Series with the gelding's first target the Classic Mile on February 1. That contest is followed by the Classic Cup on March 1, with the final leg, the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby, on March 22.

When the most recent Hong Kong rankings were announced, Sagacious Life was top of the pile among the aspirants and was rated only below Colourful King, David Eustace's Blue Point import and out-and-out sprinter who was second against older horses in Sunday's Group 3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy.

Lopes, who also sold subsequent Hong Kong Group scorer Taj Dragon from the Karl Burke yard, said: "When he [Sagacious Life] won first time out in Hong Kong he beat a very strong field, including Mickley who won the Britannia at Royal Ascot in 2024. He managed to win in very good style.

"On his most recent run he won carrying top-weight and that was just his third start in Hong Kong. Hopefully he can keep on improving, he's also a southern hemisphere-bred horse, he will turn five in the middle of the year. Zac Purton rode him and he knows he's a very good horse, hopefully he'll be his pick for the Derby."

Lopes also had positive news of Sangarius and Array, who are now based at Haras Santa Rita da Serra in Brazil.

Sangarius, a son of Kingman and Trojan Queen who landed the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, is up and running as a sire with Group-winning progeny already. Array, whose career highlight came in the Mill Reef Stakes, has been settling in at the stud after a deal was announced in October. 

He added: "Sangarius is doing very well, his owners are very pleased with him. They've also got Array, he's just arrived and is enjoying life before the covering season in the middle of next year."

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