Former Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold, now racing under the name of Golden Sleep, picked up his second Hong Kong victory when successful for former SA champion trainer Tony Millard on Wednesday.
Gold Class! An ecstatic Bernard Fayd’herbe salutes as Elusive Gold wins the Guineas (Equine Edge)
The gelding dug down deep to notch a nose victory over 1650m in going classified as good to firm.
Elusive Gold, who had previously contested such races as the HK Gr1 Classic Cup and HK Gr1 Hong Kong Derby, has now banked more than HK$740 000 in prize money.
The gelding was a R425 000 purchase from the 2012 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.
Bred by the Ascot Stud, Elusive Gold won three of five races in South Africa, with his victories including an historic triumph in the 2013 G1 Grand Parade Guineas, where the Brett Crawford trained 3yo accounted for such high class performers as Captain America, Red Ray and Horse Of The Year Legislate.
His ill-fated sire Sail From Seattle, also responsible for Gr1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship winner Gulf Storm and recent Gr3 Sycamore Sprint winner Seattle Singer, is well represented on next week’s National Yearling Sale.
The son of Gone West, whose close relative topped the recent Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale, has 23 yearlings on next week’s National Yearling Sale, including a ¾ brother to triple Gr1 winner Smart Banker (Lot 10), a half-brother to KZN Yearling Sale million winner Ace Antonius (Lot 88), a colt closely related to Gr3 winner Winter Burst (Lot 120), a half-sister to Oaks winner Rush For John (Lot 174), a half-brother to Gr1 Gold Cup runner up Balance Sheet (lot 244) and a half-brother to Gr3 winner Fromafar (Lot 310).
