An eye-catching half-brother to Gr1 winner Volatile Mix drew a clinching bid of HK$7.2 million (R15 730 000) to top the Hong Kong International Sale held in the Sha Tin Parade Ring on Friday, 3 July, as all 19 lots offered sold for a total of HK$74.3 million.
The gelding, catalogued as Lot 8, is by top Australian sire and noted speed influence I Am Invincible, out of the Gr3-placed High Chaparral mare Utopia.
The bay, whose talented sibling won the South Australian Derby, sold to Sze-To Kin Sun. Meawhile, Wong Kwong Miu, whose red and black silks have been carried previously by the talented galloper Divine Ten, brought the auctioneer’s hammer down at HK$6.5 million for Lot 14, a Zoustar gelding out of a half-sister to multiple Gr1-winning New Zealand champion Volkstok’n’barrell.
According to racingnews.hkjc.com, two more geldings hit the HK$6 million mark: Lot 6 is a Savabeel full-brother to Gr1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Savvy Coup; Lot 2 is a Per Incanto 3YO out of the Gr1 ARC Railway Stakes winner Fleur De Lune.
William Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Director of Racing Business and Operations, said: “This was a very good sale, it exceeded our expectations.”
The sale average was HK$3.91 million (up from HK$2.4 million in 2019) while the median came in at HK$4 million.
