Atlantic Jewel Produces G1 Winner

Tara Madgwick - Sunday February 20

Champion Fastnet Rock mare Atlantic Jewel scaled the heights as a broodmare on Sunday when her  blue-blood Irish bred Galileo son Russian Emperor won the Group I Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin bringing a massive pedigree update to his half-brother to be offered at Inglis Easter.

Advertisement

Russian Emperor wins his first G1 - image HKJC

A Group III winner at Royal Ascot when trained by Aidan O’Brien, Russian Emperor was sold to race in Hong Kong after finishing seventh in the 2020 Epsom Derby.

Second in the Hong Kong Derby last year, the Douglas Whyte trained Russian Emperor was having his second start for 2022 after finishing last year with a good third to Japanese raider Loves Only You in the Group I HK International Cup.

Russian Emperor revelled in the wet ground to race away and win by more than four lengths under Blake Shinn with HK Horse of the Year Golden Sixty finishing in third place as favourite.

“It’s very satisfying, this horse (Russian Emperor) deserves it more than anything but more so the owners. They have been so patient and they’re very good friends of mine and they deserve it – they really do,” Whyte said.
 

“The horse has just bounced back from the International Races and he reproduced that in the mile (G1 Stewards’ Cup, 1600m) and he’s come out today and done what I expected him to do. The rain has helped but, in saying that, he still had to win and he’s just done that.”


Blake Shinn was delighted with the win.

“Look, he’s a really talented horse and he’s been running really well. Full credit to Douglas, he’s figured out how to prep him for the big days and the elite level and that’s what great trainers do – they know how to peak them on the big days and Douglas has done that again today,” Shinn said.

Russian Emperor has the overall record of three wins and six placings from 17 starts with the soft ground for this assignment bringing out his best.

“He was always going to be a good horse but he was always ‘jarry’ and always feeling the tracks, even after a gallop he would feel the tracks and only now he’s acclimatised and the more time you seem to give him, the better he gets,” Whyte continued.

A four time Group I winner by Fastnet Rock, Atlantic Jewel was sent to the Northern Hemisphere to begin her stud career for Coolmore and Russian Emperor is the best of her two winners to date.

She was returned to Australia in 2019 and covered by Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) with her colt from that mating to be offered by Coolmore at Inglis Easter as Lot 62.

Sadly, the colt is her final foal as Atlantic Jewel passed away in 2020.



Russian Emperor is the first Group I winner for the late champion sire Galileo bred from a daughter of Fastnet Rock and is one of five stakes-winners bred that way, the nick running at 26% stakes-winners to runners.

The same nick the other way around has also been spectacularly successful producing 24 stakes-winners, nine of which are Group I winners with a strike rate of 20% SW to runner.





 

Advertisment

Race Result - The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup Gr1 2000m

Sha Tin Track: Dead Time: 2:04.11
1
Russian Emperor
- 5g Galileo (IRE) x Atlantic Jewel (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: D Whyte Rdr: B Shinn 57
2
4.3
Savvy Nine
- 6g Anodin (IRE) x Insan Mala (IRE) (Bahhare (USA))
Tnr: D Whyte Rdr: M Chadwick 57
3
5.6
Golden Sixty
- 6g Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humor (USA))
Tnr: K W Lui Rdr: C Y Ho 57
4
6.3
Tourbillon Diamond
- 5g Olympic Glory (IRE) x Modave (NZ) (Montjeu (IRE))
Tnr: C S Shum Rdr: A Badel 57
5
8.0
More Than This
- 6g Dutch Art (GB) x Striving (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: C S Shum Rdr: Z Purton 57
6
8.5
Zebrowski
- 5g Savabeel (AUS) x Polish Princess (GB) (Polish Precedent (USA))
Tnr: C Fownes Rdr: M F Poon 57
7
10.3
Butterfield
- 6g Setembro Chove (BRZ) x Londrinita (ARG) (Fahim (GB))
Tnr: C S Shum Rdr: V Borges 57
8
14.8
Reliable Team
- 6g Reliable Man (GB) x Stella Doro (NZ) (Faltaat (USA))
Tnr: F C Lor Rdr: H Bentley 57
9
25.0
Panfield
- 5h Lookin At Lucky (USA) x Esterina II (ARG) (Orpen (USA))
Tnr: A T Millard Rdr: K C Leung 57
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
The Rosehill trials on Friday morning featured a couple of juvenile heats and both winners came out of the Widden Stud draft at Magic Millions with one topping the sale at $2.8million and the other selling for a modest $150,000.
Melbourne Cup Next for UK Raider Onesmoothoperator
Winner of the Group III Geelong Cup last year at his first Australian appearance, UK trained stayer Onesmoothoperator (USA) had not won a race since then but was back in the winning groove last night take out the $750,000 Group II MVRC Moonee Valley Cup (2500m).
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Magic Millions First Digital Sale - Opportunities Aplenty
Bidding is now open for the first Magic Millions Digital Sale with opportunities across all levels of the market for prospective buyers.
Consistency Key On Day One of 2025 Breeze Ups
After the rescheduling of dates for NZB’s anticipated 2025 Ready to Run Sale Breeze Ups, Day One kicked off on Monday at Te Rapa Racecourse with consistent times, weather and track conditions.
NZB Breeze Up Footage Now Available to View Online
The highly anticipated Breeze Up videos for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale are now available to view online at nzb.co.nz.
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Inglis Digital - Darby Swoop on Amazing Eagle for $310,000
Scott Darby believes today’s Inglis Digital sale-topper Amazing Eagle (Capitalist) can continue along the same successful mould as the likes of former online Darby acquisitions Robusto, Caballus and Imperial Force and progress on to become a future racetrack star.
NZB Ready to Run Breeze Ups Complete for 2025
The final day of NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale Breeze Ups saw a further 202 two-year-olds gallop down the home straight at Te Rapa Racecourse.