The internationalism of the China Horse Club’s racing and breeding divisions were reinforced with a raft of positive results across three major jurisdictions of the racing world last weekend.
The Club’s European breeding division, often overshadowed by its larger peers in Australia and the USA, had a weekend to remember while the Club’s racing arm was represented in the time-honored Kentucky Derby for the third time in the last four years.
China Horse Club’s Europe breeding division looks to have an emerging star in its homebred, Saffron Beach who was immense when a fighting second in the G1 1000 Guineas, the first Classic of the British racing season for fillies. Trainer Jane Chappe-Hyam is seriously evaluating the G1 Epsom Oaks with the daughter of New Bay, a sire expected to play a key role in China Horse Club’s European stallion division over the coming seasons.
New Bay
NOTABLE WEEKEND RESULTS
o Saffron Beach: 2nd G1 1000 Guineas (Britain)
o Australia: Mare Australis (1st G1 Prix Ganay); Broome (1st G2 Mooresbridge Stakes)
o Russian Revolution: Sale topper Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale
o Kentucky Derby: Competed in the time-honored race for the 3rd time in four years
A full-brother to Saffron Beach was born earlier this year and his appeal is growing in line with the trajectory of his highly talented big sister.
That performance was followed by two high-profile wins by progeny of former champion racehorse and emerging elite sire Australia. Mare Australis, a lightly raced four-year-old entire, is shaping as a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe contender after his spirited win in the G1 Prix Ganay (France). The French-based performer is the third G1 winner for Australia and his fourth may well be the fast-improving Broome who added the G2 Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh (Ireland) to his tally of wins. The Aiden O’Brien trained entire has won each of his three starts in 2021 and is expected to zero in on either the G1 Coronation Cup or the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at his next outing.
Russian Revolution
That trio of exceptional results was bolstered by another sale-topping performance of the young Australian-based sire Russian Revolution. The former multiple G1 winner has arguably been the most in-demand first season sire among his generation. Over the weekend a yearling son topped the Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale, the second sale-topper for the Newgate Farm-based performer who also stole the limelight at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale with an AUD325,000 sale.
Not to be outdone, the China Horse Club’s USA racing division took its place on the biggest of stages yet again when contesting the G1 Kentucky Derby. The Club’s chances in the race were dealt a considerable blow when early favourite, Life Is Good, sustained a setback and was forced to miss the classic. It is a testament to the team in the USA that the lightly raced Sainthood was able to make the significant progress required to make the field of 20 and become the fourth runner for the Club in the last four years.
CHINA HORSE CLUB’S KENTUCKY DERBY RUNNERS
- 2021: Sainthood (11th)
- 2019: Improbable (4th)
- 2018: Justify (1st), Audible (3rd)
The Todd Pletcher trained colt was prominent through most of the race and fought to the line when a determined 11th. His performance follows exceptional results with Justify (1st), Audible (3rd), and Improbable (4th) in previous seasons and augurs well for the second half of 2021.
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