The patience of CHC members will be rewarded when the club’s gun South African sprinter, Kings Bay, is unveiled later this year in Singapore. After almost nine months of quarantine and travel Kings Bay is nearing the final departure date to Singapore in a circuitous route that has seen him travel from South Africa to Mauritius and to England already.
Kings Bay
In 2013 Kings Bay was crowned the best three-year-old sprinter of his year in South Africa and was secured on behalf of members with a view to seeing whether he could replicate this form on a bigger stage.
The manner of Kings Bay’s five wins from only eight starts impressed the CHC’s stable of international trainers with many jockeying to secure his service. While France, the United States and Ireland were considered as possible racing centres for Kings Bay in the end it was deemed most appropriate racing venue was Singapore where the CHC has already tasted success at the highest level.
The bay four-year-old stallion is set to fly from Great Britain to Singapore in mid-September and may have time for an abridged preparation late in 2014 before being prepared for 2015 and a preparation designed to tackle some of Singapore’s richest sprints.
“It remains to be seen whether Kings Bay can adapt to the climate of Singapore immediately, not all of our horses have. That being said his racing record indicates that he is a quality performer and quality usually displays itself in due course,” said Eden Harrington, General Manager for the China Horse Club.
“Importantly, South Africa’s best sprinters have shown they can measure up on the world stage time and time again. Kings Bay looked in fantastic order when we saw him in England in June jut after his flight from Mauritius. It is the first time we have actually laid eyes on him in the flesh and it was fantastic to see him looking so well after his long flight and to see he had such a relaxed temperament.
“The process of quarantine and flying is an extensive one for horses from South Africa regardless of where in the world they are transported to. So to see Kings Bay in great health at Highclere Stud with guests on our recent trip to Royal Ascot was most encouraging.
“Malcolm Bastard is overseeing his care in England and while Kings Bay hasn’t been asked to do a great deal the reports to date have been encouraging. The stint in England is a requirement for horses moving between South Africa and Asia and we are using the occasion to keep Kings Bay both physically and mentally fresh before he flies to Singapore.”
South Africa’s 2013 crop of three-year-olds was rated arguably the best in a decade and it was no surprise that Kings Bay was one of several stars cherry picked by international stables for competition in some of the world’s leading carnivals. Dubai is a regular destination for South African racing talent and Kings Bay’s peers are expected to play a prominent role there over the 2015 carnival. Kings Bay, for his part, will be given time to earn his strips in Singapore where the CHC members have already tasted so much success since mid-2013.