Hong Kong’s rising star Pierre Ng lands four including $400,000 Gold Coast sales topper

Magic Millions 2YOs In Training Sale holds up better than expected as international buyers hold sway

Respected vendor Tal Nolen sold three of the top five lots yesterday – a $400,000 son of American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile), a $200,000 son of Zousain (Zoustar) and a Flying Artie (Artie Schiller) colt for $180,000 – with the trio all destined for the premier Asian racing jurisdiction.

Pierre Ng, a rising star of the Hong Kong training ranks, bought the sale-topping colt by Coolmore’s former shuttler American Pharoah as well as a first-crop son of Zousain, teaming up with young Gold Coast trainer Adam Campton, who helped select the horses.

Campton had little doubt that the $55,000 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale graduate by American Pharoah was the pick of the day, successfully outlasting strong competition from Lindsay Park bloodstock manager Josh Rix for the colt, who breezed–up in 10.15 seconds at Seymour in Victoria.

“I have a little bit to do with the American Pharoahs and I’ve got a really nice one at home,” Campton told ANZ Bloodstock News. 

“Pierre and I have had a good association since I was in Hong Kong and I’ve come home now and I have been very lucky to team up with him today to buy some nice horses and he was obviously the pick of them.

“He was for one of Pierre’s loyal owners and I am excited to get him ready and in time he’ll be shipped off to Hong Kong and hopefully he can win some nice races up there.”

The sales topper, who was bred by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud, is the second foal out of Speed Princess (Casino Prince), a daughter of MRC Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Serious Speed (Royal Academy).

Earlier, Ng added to the depth of his stable with the purchase of a colt by Zousain who will also enter the stable of Campton before a decision is made whether to send him to Hong Kong on a private purchase griffin (PPG) or private purchase (PP) permit.

Campton, Ng’s father, former Hong Kong trainer Peter, and veterinarian Dr Brett Warren all agreed the son of Widden Stud’s Zousain was ideal for Hong Kong.

“He has got a good conformation, good legs and really nicely balanced feet and a good shoulder and girth and he has a really lovely walk, probably the best on the ground today,” Dr Warren said.

“As a veterinarian, that’s what I am here for, to look at the physicality of the horse, the scope and x-rays, the holistic side as well as the genetics which comes with it.”

The stringent Hong Kong veterinary protocols can often cause consternation amongst the vendors, but Dr Warren said they were introduced for good reason.

“It is a quality control process and it just makes it open [and transparent],” he said. 

“Horses can go up there with issues, but it means that the buyers and the members of the Jockey Club are made aware of them. 

Design by Aaron Davies-Jones

“Since that process has come into place, it’s been a much smoother operation with less problems because everyone shares in it [buying process].”

Nolen’s Moorillah Pastoral paid $100,000 for the Zousain colt, who is out of the stakes-placed mare Erin’s Element (Shaft), at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale in March.

Strike Thoroughbreds also paid $90,000 for a Super One (I Am Invincible) colt yesterday from the draft of Symphony Lodge, while Ng will also train the six-figure Nolen-consigned Flying Artie colt who was bought by Wattle Bloodstock’s Peter Twomey on behalf of a Hong Kong client.

Today’s $400,000 sale topper from the Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale was a $55,000 Adelaide Yearling Sale pin-hook for Nolen Racing. Congratulations to all connected with a special colt. He will ultimately race in Hong Kong after his purchase today by Pierre Ng. pic.twitter.com/SfkfTUavtj

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) October 24, 2023

Written By colt heading west

Nolen’s son Shaun has also become a regular vendor on the Australian two-year-old sales circuit with his 2023 Gold Coast draft headed by a $200,000 Written By (Written Tycoon) colt whose future is in Perth.

The well-conformed colt, a $62,500 purchase from Book 2 of the Magic Millions sale in January, was bought by Maureen Daly, the wife of prominent Western Australian owner Wally.

Hancock Quality Bloodstock’s Adrian Hancock signed for the colt, the first foal of a Sebring (More Than Ready) daughter, winner Mandalong Sera.

He breezed–up in a slick 10.24 seconds at Seymour for Nolen’s JCS Thoroughbreds.

“He is a pretty obvious colt who hits you between the eyes when he comes out of the box. His gallop was very impressive and he’s just a quality looking animal,” Hancock said.

“We are very familiar with the pedigree, being closely related to last week’s Group 1 winner Attrition. He is also out of a Sebring mare, which is a big plus in my opinion, as he’s a very big influence these days on both sides of the pedigree.”

With a downward market predicted leading into the sale, Magic Millions’ South Australian representative Hancock was pleasantly surprised by the strength of the market and his client had to extend the budget to ensure the Written By colt was theirs.

“He’s by a promising young stallion, but it was his physique that got us over the line and they were prepared to go that little bit extra, which you have to do to buy a nice horse in what’s been a pretty strong and competitive market, I’ve got to say. 

“Nice horses are selling well.”

It is likely that Sean and Jake Casey will train the colt, but first the intention is for him to enjoy a spell in South Australia prior to being transported to Western Australia.

Yulong’s Zhang Yuesheng is the first name that people often think of when they associate China with racing and while the billionaire was on the Gold Coast yesterday, it was his fellow countrymen who made an impact, alongside an enthusiastic contingent from the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand.

Chinese buyers were responsible for nine lots at a spend of $893,500 with the highest-priced lot, a $210,000 Baramul Stud-bred and sold son of Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible), heading to mainland China to race after being purchased by Zhang Jiandao.

Magic Millions’ China representative Amy Feng said nine Chinese buyers had made the trip to the one-day sale in the pursuit of improving the quality of thoroughbreds in their home country.

Feng said: “The racing in China is improving and the prize-money much higher than before, so we need better quality horses.” 

While margins were tight for vendors, with the overall turnover of $5,011,500 down 26 per cent on 2022, the majority were prepared to meet the market in the knowledge that buyers held the upper hand as 83 horses changed hands. 

The average also fell by almost $23,000 to $60,380 while the median climbed slightly for $42,000. The clearance rate was 75 per cent.

Reflecting on the sale results last night, Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was “delighted with most parts of how the sale played out today”.

“I think that complemented what we had here from a domestic perspective and from Hong Kong.

“To clear 75 per cent in the sales ring today, I think that’s an extraordinary effort for a breeze-up sale.”

Notwithstanding the challenges faced in the market and the competition posed by Inglis and New Zealand Bloodstock in the ready to run sales space, Bowditch hopes yesterday’s sale was a platform to be able to build the size and the scope of the sale in 2024

“I just hope going forward we can find some middle–market horses that can provide us with more reason for participation from the Hong Kong buyers,” he said.

“I think we had good participation from Hong Kong, but going forward I would like to think, with a good selection of horses across that market we can do better again.

“The greater the size of the catalogue, the greater chance we have of getting more of these buyers down here.”

A great result for @BaramulStud at today’s Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale with their Brazen Beau colt from Inner Demons selling for $210,000 to China’s Zhang Jiandao. pic.twitter.com/5v5HkXw1Qy

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) October 24, 2023

Quick trip pays off for Kennewell

Meanwhile, Melbourne trainer Lloyd Kennewell made a flying visit to the Gold Coast, landing an hour before Lot 22, a colt by young Newgate Farm sire Tassort (Brazen Beau), went through the ring.

Kennewell’s first on-site inspection matched what he had seen in the two-year-old’s breeze-up, prompting him to go to $150,000 to buy the colt who is by the same sire as recent Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Manaal.

Kennewell signed for the colt alongside his agent, Group 1 Bloodstock’s Mathew Becker, with the pair both impressed by the horse’s 10.72-second breeze up at the Gold Coast.

“He looks like you could get him home and put a saddle on him straight away. He’s an early going two-year-old and I thought he had a really good action, hence the reason I got on the plane to come up.

“He was good on x-ray and scope, so I thought I better come up as he was the one I wanted.”

He was a $90,000 purchase by Toowoomba trainer Mark Currie at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale and consigned by Raheen Stud.

Two lots earlier, fellow Melbourne trainer Jason Warren outlaid $170,000 for a Segenhoe Stud-consigned Hellbent (I Am Invincible colt), who is also the sire of his high-class mare Benedetta.

The final breeze-up sale, NZB’s Ready to Run Sale, will be held at Karaka on November 22 and 23.