Son of record-setting Deep Field tops Hong Kong International Sale at HK$7.8m

A son of record-breaking sire Deep Field topped the 2022 Hong Kong International Sale after attracting a bid of HK$7.8 million (£826,000/€976,000) in the Sha Tin parade ring on Saturday, as the 17 lots realised a total of HK$71m.

By the same sire as Hong Kong Sprint winner Sky Field and a host of other Hong Kong winners including The Golden Scenery, Californiadeepshot and Winning Dreamer, the athletic chestnut was one of four lots to top HK$5m.

Underscoring the popularity of Deep Field, who holds the Hong Kong single-season record for prize-money earned by progeny, the two-year-old – who is out of the well-credentialled More Than Ready mare Bousquet – was the subject of a bidding tussle before being knocked down to Yue Yun Hing.

The Yue family, who have raced a host of successful horses in Hong Kong including Panfield and Butterfield, also claimed the second-highest lot at the sale with the HK$7m purchase of a gelded son of Starspangledbanner to Edmond Yue Kwok Yin.

A chestnut gelding by Snitzel out of Encosta De Lago mare Houston Benefactor was purchased by Yip Wing Kui for HK$5.8m, while a bay gelding by Fastnet Rock out of Northern Meteor mare Diana’s Star was secured by Philip Liu Chun Hang for HK$5m.

The sale average was HK$4.1m, up from $HK2.95m in 2021, while the median reached HK$3.6m, up from HK$2.8m last year.

Danny Rolston, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s executive manager, international sale/owners advisory services, said: “With significant increases in average and gross turnover, the Club is overall really happy with the outcome of the sale.

"The strong results are a reflection of the Hong Kong Jockey Club members’ confidence in the horses that have been selected for the sale, the results of the graduates that have come out of the sale but most importantly the confidence and strength of Hong Kong racing, and this is a reflection of the significant increases in prize-money for next season.

The scene at Sha Tin, where a total of 17 lots went through the ringCredit: Hkjc

“I think the two top lots were fairly obviously going to be the highlight horses, they breezed particularly well and they’re both by stallions that are very popular. Beyond that it was really hard to predict what the horses were going to sell for and just how much the turnover would be, but we’re very happy to see such a significant increase in gross turnover."

He added: “While we sold 17 horses here today, that was just the select group of horses that was decided were completely well suited to the environment in Hong Kong to be offered at the sale. There’s still 12 that didn’t come to the sale and that is a reflection of the standard that we have before we even bring them through for the auction.”

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