All Too Hard's Wellington a Class Above in Hong Kong Sprint

Mark Smith - Sunday December 11

The locals have dominated the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin and were to the fore again on Sunday with the Australian-bred All Too Hard gelding Wellington.

Advertisement

Wellignton leads an all Aussie bred trifecta in the HK International Sprint - image HKJC

Ridden by Ryan Moore for Richard Gibson, Wellington defeated the Magnus gelding Sight Success by three-quarters of a length with a neck back to the Deep Field gelding Sky Field in third.

It was the fourth Group 1 for the son of All Too Hard, advancing his record to twelve wins and a second from 19 starts.

Bred by Kia Ora Stud, David Paradise, and Steve McCann, Wellington was a $70,000 purchase for  Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm from Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is the best of three winners from four to race from Group II placed More Than Ready (USA) mare Mihiri, who comes from the family of Group I winners Cerulean Sky and Moonstone.  

Wellington a $70,000 Magic Millions yearling

Wellington’s three-year-old half-sister Rotarua (Star Witness) broke her maiden last week at her second start at Nowra.

Mihiri has no yearling this year and produced a filly by Wellington’s sire All Too Hard on August 24.

Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard has 18 catalogued for the Magic Millions and 20 at the Inglis Classic.

Advertisment

Race Result - The Longines Hong Kong Sprint Gr1 1200m

Sha Tin Track: Good Time: 1:08.76
1
Wellington
- 6g All Too Hard (AUS) x Mihiri (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Richard Gibson Rdr: Ryan Moore 57
All Too Hard
2
0.8
Sight Success
- 6g Magnus (AUS) x Tarp (AUS) (Bletchley Park (IRE))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: C P Lemaire 57
Magnus
3
1.1
Sky Field
- 6g Deep Field (AUS) x Laravissante (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: C Fownes Rdr: B Shinn 57
4
1.5
Courier Wonder
- 5g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Fabulist (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: L Currie 57
5
1.6
Meikei Yell
- 5m Mikki Isle (JPN) x Shiroinger (JPN) (Harbinger (GB))
Tnr: Hidenori Take Rdr: J B Mc Donald 55.5
6
2.5
Lucky Sweynesse
- 4g Sweynesse (AUS) x Madonna Mia (NZ) (Red Clubs (IRE))
Tnr: K L Man Rdr: Z Purton 57
7
2.8
Cordyceps Six
- 4g Star Turn (AUS) x Sandcastles (AUS) (Hinchinbrook (AUS))
Tnr: Richard Gibson Rdr: S De Sousa 57
8
2.9
Super Wealthy
- 7g Epaulette (AUS) x Well Hidden (USA) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: D A Hayes Rdr: C Y Ho 57
9
3.0
Stronger
- 6h Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Star Pupil (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: D Whyte Rdr: J Bowman 57
10
4.0
Naran Huleg
- 7h Gold Allure (JPN) x Kelly's Beauty (JPN) (Brian's Time (USA))
Tnr: Yoshitada Munakata Rdr: K Maruta 57
11
4.5
Duke Wai
- 7g Per Incanto (USA) x Swan Lake (NZ) (Green Perfume (USA))
Tnr: P C Ng Rdr: H Bentley 57
12
5.0
Gendarme
- 8h Kitten's Joy (USA) x Believe (JPN) (Sunday Silence (USA))
Tnr: Yasutoshi Ikee Rdr: Damian Lane 57
13
6.3
Resistencia
- 6m Daiwa Major (JPN) x Malacostumbrada (JPN) (Lizard Island (USA))
Tnr: Takeshi Matsushita Rdr: J Moreira 55.5
14
6.5
Lim's Kosciuszko
- 5g Kermadec (NZ) x Jacquetta (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: D Meagher Rdr: D R Beasley 57
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Spring racing is just around the corner and a busy set of trials at Randwick on Friday featured eight heats won by juveniles with winners including stakes horses The Playwright and Cobra Club as well as unraced youngsters by Justify (USA), I Am Invincible and Flying Artie.
Wathnan Racing Swoop - Quai de Bethune Eclipses July Sale Record 775,000 Guineas
The Tattersalls July Sale concluded in spectacular fashion with QUAI DE BETHUNE selling for a record 775,000 guineas and the Busuttin Young stable also picked up lightly raced 3YO TIME ALLOWED for Australia.
Melbourne Racing Club Unveils Major Spring Racing Enhancements
Racing Victoria has confirmed prize money allocations for the 2025-2026 season and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has announced some exciting race program changes and prizemoney increases that, together with other great initiatives at Flemington and Moonee Valley, reinforce the position of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival at the forefront of international racing.
Bred to Be Better at Three
Andrew Campbell will unveil another exciting youngster at Hawera on Saturday when two-year-old gelding Valvano makes his debut in the Simon Bendall @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1200m).
Justify Strikes at Newmarket with New G3 Winner
The Group III Bahrain Trophy Stakes ((1m5f) at Newmarket overnight produced a runaway winner in Scandinavia and while his sire Justify no longer shuttles to Australia, two of his sons will be on the roster at Coolmore this spring in City of Troy (IRE) and Storm Boy.
Debut 2YO Winner for Brutal
Fresh from siring a smart metro winner at Sandown on Wednesday in Brutalina, Brutal was in the frame at Scone on Friday where Brett Cavanough unleashed a promising two year-old debut winner in Bird Whistle.
All Too Hard Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
The reigning champion sprinter in Hong Kong, Kia Ora Stud bred and sold All Too Hard gelding Wellington made his first appearance for the new season at Sha Tin on Sunday winning the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Bred to be Good - So You Think x More Joyous
It sounds like a match made in heaven, a colt by two time Cox Plate winning sire So You Think from eight time Group I winner More Joyous, and this 2YO is slated to make his debut in New Zealand this weekend,  
Willydoit Data Surprise - Sprinter or Stayer?
Scientific tests have revealed surprising results on the distance aptitude of this season’s star New Zealand staying three-year-old Willydoit.
Sires With Winners - Friday July 11
Here is the full list of 45 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.