I Am Invincible Son Tops Hong Kong International Sale
A son of three-time Australian champion sire I Am Invincible topped the March 7 select Hong Kong International Sale in the parade ring at Sha Tin when selling to owner Philip Liu.
The final price for lot 12 was HK$5,000,000 (US$643,410, HK$1=US$0.13) for the previous AU$580,000 graduate of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in 2023. Out of the Encosta de Lago mare Subsequent, he is a gelded half brother to Summer Passage, a top-level winner in New Zealand as a 2-year-old who also had a brief career in Hong Kong.
I Am Invincible was continuing a decent week having provided the biggest-priced inclusion, a AU$500,000 filly, March 3 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. His smart performers in Hong Kong include group 2 winner Wishful Thinker and 2024 HKIS graduate Markwin.
Lot 5 was not far behind as he reached HK$4,600,000 to So Wing Keung. The son of So You Think is out of a Fastnet Rock sister to the brilliant Australian mare Mosheen , bringing him into the extended family of Lucky Owners, champion miler in Hong Kong for 2003-04.
Two of the 15 individuals to be offered in the ring, both from European families and sales, reached the HK$4,000,000 marker.
Lot 15 is a Siyouni gelding who had been sold by Old Mill Stud for 450,000 guineas at the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, out of the unraced War Front mare Playing Trix, a half sister to 2014 Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) winner and smart producer Cursory Glance . Lot 17 was a well-touted chestnut son of Lope de Vega , who had come from the same sale through Ballyhimikin Stud for 225,000 guineas. They were bought by the HKJC Racing Club and Alan Chan respectively.
The horses were bought by Hong Kong Jockey Club representatives from around the world and were reoffered to owners in their new home as 3-year-olds. They had a public timed breeze on turf, with the idea of being able to start racing towards the end of the year.
At the top of the hall of fame among graduates is the jurisdiction’s international champion Romantic Warrior , who was such a game second in last month’s Saudi Cup (G1). He was sourced by Mick Kinane from the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 as a yearling from Corduff Stud and then resold to owner Peter Lau at HK$4.8 million at the 2021 renewal. Other local legends to have been sold at the auction include Good Ba Ba and Pakistan Star.
Romantic Warrior (inside), shown finishing second in the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Race Course, sold at the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale
All told, the statistics were slightly down on those from last year, which had dipped from 2023 in turn. All 15 lots sold for an aggregate of HK$45.1 million (US$5,863,000), compared with HK$46.3 million for 14 in 2024. The average dipped 9% from HK$3,307,143 to HK$3,006,667 (US$390,867), while the median also took a 19% dive from HK$3.2 million to HK$2.6 million (US$338,000).
Danny Rolston, executive manager of international sale/owners advisory services at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We’ve put some really nice horses up, we were really selective on the final group that we offered to the market.
“As you would know from the withdrawal list, we took out the horses that weren’t suitable for sale right at this point—some of those will be made available for sale at a later stage—but what we did offer here tonight are horses that we have a lot of confidence in. With some of the horses at the lower end of the market this year, we’re absolutely positive that there’s some great value in hand.
“I think the market has dictated that horses aren’t worth the same as what they perhaps were two years ago, and we’re confident that we’ve released some really nice horses into the market for our permit holders and in another 12 months we’ll be telling more stories like Markwin and New Future Folks, and permit holders have come to the international sale and they’ve actually got value and they’ve been able to buy horses that are right here and ready to train and have a pretty good chance of going and winning a race in their first 12 months and being a chance in their 4-year-old season.”
