It was a weekend of wonder for CHC and partners as some of their proven stars and emerging talent combined to deliver two G1 and a G2 over three successive days.
There have been a series of highlights in the club’s short history headlined by the well-publicized heroics of Justify, Abel Tasman, Australia et al. However, it is difficult to recall a concentration of major results over one weekend like the one just passed.
Justify
“Since the inception of China Horse Club, with our members and our partners, we have aspired to compete in and win major races around the world,” said Chairman Teo Ah Khing.
“Naturally that is not easy to do. Every owner shares that same aspiration. So, to have won three high profile races across Australia and the United States back-to-back on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was truly momentous.
“We are immensely proud of sharing in these achievements with such wonderful partners like Newgate Farm, WinStar Farm, SF Bloodstock, Matthew Sandblom, Sir Owen Glenn, Starlight Racing and others. We hope there may be more in store.”
Wild Ruler
Wild Ruler launched the cavalcade on Friday night when staving off Melbourne’s best sprinters in the G1 Moir Stakes. Under a peach of a ride from jockey Daniel Moor, the powerhouse sprinter delivered a faultless display under lights at Moonee Valley to crown an already accomplished career and advertise his credentials to slot holders of the AUD15 million The Everest – the world’s richest turf race (16th October 2021). His compelling argument resulted in a near immediate confirmation of his involvement in the prestigious race with leading Chinese operator and slot holder, Yulong, securing his services.
Yulong’s progression in international racing has been notable and rightly applauded. In a short window of time, it has demonstrated an ability to compete and succeed at the highest level in Australia and Europe in addition to its heady successes in China. The partnership between CHC and Yulong is notable on many fronts. The shared cause of Wild Ruler’s tilt at The Everest is a first for operations with clear ties to China. It may also be a catalyst for future opportunities to partner together in China itself where Yulong has set a standard of excellence in racing and CHC and partners have demonstrated their strength in breeding elite horses.
In The Congo
With Wild Ruler’s performance still vivid in the memory, ever brave speedster In The Congo delivered an audacious display of front running racing to cripple the best three-year-olds in Australia and to write his name into the annals of the G1 Golden Rose in race record time.
One of no less than four runners competing for CHC and partners, the spirited colt has been on a heady rise in what is still his maiden preparation. A shooting star in the CHC and Newgate Farm racing ranks, In The Congo is also being spoken of as an Everest contender. At present the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes remains his immediate target.
In time, Wild Ruler and In The Congo are expected to be among the most popular new stallions at stud their careers come to a close. The pair will eventually join the likes of fellow CHC colour bearers Russian Revolution, Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and Cosmic Force at Newgate Farm. Until then, they will be bidding to build on their already imposing curriculum vitaes.
On Sunday, across the Pacific, many of America’s high-profile stars were lining up for final hit outs ahead of November’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Among the glitterati was the CHC and WinStar Farm owned Life Is Good.
The exceptional son of champion sire Into Mischief is yet to deliver anything less than a five-star performance. From his maiden display Life Is Good has justified an assessment that he is special. At his second start he claimed graded stakes success. At his third in the G2 San Felipe Stakes, he streeted Medina Spirit by eight lengths to cement himself as the clear pre-post favourite for the 2021 Kentucky Derby. A setback denied him a tilt at all three classics but his resumption, off an almost six-month layout, against Jackie’s Warrior in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes was a statement of intent that a major race was well within his keeping before the year is out.
Sunday’s cruisy five-and-a-half length win in the G2 Kelso Stakes only franked that assessment further. The event was a prelude to the USD1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for Life Is Good and a chance for new jockey Irad Ortiz to get a feel of his capabilities ahead of that key contest.
Life Is Good
“[Life Is Good] ran such a huge race off the layoff and figure-wise it was off the charts,” trainer Todd Pletcher told Bloodhorse.com.
“The second start after the layoff worries you, but every indication he gave us was that he was ready for a good effort. The main thing we were focused on today was getting a good effort out of him, and we certainly got that. It was very impressive.”
Life Is Good’s performance followed a successful Keeneland September Yearling Sale where CHC and partners sourced a pool of exciting future prospects, including four colts by Life Is Good’s sire Into Mischief. The famed sale has been a happy hunting ground with future half-of-famer Justify and the above-mentioned Life Is Good among those CHC and partners have sourced from September.
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