Good things come to those who wait and that was certainly the case for one of Hong Kong’s most popular racehorses Hot King Prawn (Denman x De Chorus), who claimed a deserved maiden G1 in the Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday evening.
The John Size trainee becomes the 10th G1 winning graduate since 2018 of the Inglis Classic Sale, eight of whom could have been bought for $100,000 or less, while also joining a fellow grey Classic graduate, Classique Legend, amongst the ranks of the best sprinters in the world.
Hot King Prawn was offered by Torryburn Stud at the 2016 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where he sold to Aquanita Racing for $90,000.
The G1 breakthrough is well-timed, with Torryburn set to offer the full brother at the 2021 Inglis Classic Sale which begins in just 2 weeks time.
“It’s so exciting for Torryburn, we remember Hot King Prawn well and have followed his career closely,” Brett Cornish of Torryburn Stud said.
“He really did deserve this G1 as he’s come close a few times and this is despite being very sick with colic in February 2019 – which caused him to miss his 4YO season.
“It’s a credit to trainer John Size to get him back, Hot King Prawn is in the form of his career, he was purchased to go to Hong Kong and he’s now won five Stakes races.
“As a yearling he was very athletic, medium sized but a beautiful mover and I described him as a ballerina the way he could just turn on a dime, he was so light on his feet and very balanced.
“The yearling full brother is quite similar to ‘the Prawn’, very athletic, although maybe a little bigger, he’s really thrived during the prep” Cornish said.
Hot King Prawn, who has earned close to A$5.7m, is the second G1 winning Classic graduate for Torryburn Stud, having sold G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winning filly Peggy Jean (Myboycharlie) for $46,000 to Triple Crown Syndications in 2013.
Torryburn was responsible for the $380,000 Classic top lot in 2020 and counts the likes of Terravista, Dixie Blossoms, El Dorado Dreaming and Deploy amongst other recent star graduates.
“We’re offering 37 yearlings at this year’s Inglis Classic Sale, the draft is looking great and we’re taking a couple of standouts including the Hot King Prawn brother and a Russian Revolution colt out of Progressive,” Cornish said.
In another boost to the Classic catalogue, Hot King Prawn’s half sister Storm Siren (Excites), has a colt from the first crop of Churchill to be offered as Lot 347 by Widden Stud.
Meanwhile in the G1 The Stewards’ Cup later on the Sha Tin card, evergreen 8YO Southern Legend (Not a Single Doubt) went within a whisker of de-throning champion Golden Sixty when beaten just 0.2 lengths in the 1600m feature.
Southern Legend was a $280,000 purchase for Carmel Size and Neville Begg from the Corumbene Stud draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Tonight’s results capped a successful weekend for Inglis graduates in the Southern Hemisphere.
In New Zealand on Saturday, Inglis Great Southern Sale graduate On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) made it three wins from as many starts for trainer Jamie Richards and Te Akau Racing when taking out the Listed Karaka Million for 2YOs.
On The Bubbles was bred by Burnewang North, who offered him as a weanling at the Great Southern Sale where Ben Kwok and Bevan Smith purchased him for $60,000.
And in Sydney the consistent 4YO Bandersnatch (Casino Prince) secured a deserved first Stakes win when successful in the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick.
It was a sixth career victory for the Penny Crowley-bred galloper at just start No.16, taking his career earnings to almost $400,000.
Bandersnatch is proving to be another outstanding investment for connections, having cost just $42,000 from the draft of Amarina Farm at the Classic Yearling Sale.
This year’s Classic Sale will be held as a live auction at Riverside on February 7-9, with inspections beginning on Tuesday February 2.
Catalogued yearlings are available for on farm inspections this week by appointment.
To view the location of all drafts, CLICK HERE.
To view the Classic catalogue, CLICK HERE.
To view the Classic parade schedule at Riverside Stables, CLICK HERE.
