Hong Kong Derby Runner-Up for Wandjina

Media Release - Sunday March 31

This year's running of Hong Kong's most prestigious race, the Hong Kong Derby, saw a stirring finish between two exceptionally exciting horses - the Irish bred Massive Sovereign and the Australian bred Galaxy Patch.

Galaxy Patch fails narrowly to catch Massive Sovereign (IRE) in the Hong Kong Derby - image Grant Courtney

Along with the winner, Galaxy Patch really put in the big strides late to go oh so close to the prize after getting back from a tricky gate - clocking 22.4 seconds for his final 400m compared to the winner's 22.58 seconds.

Bred by Summerset Stud, the $50,000 graduate of the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale had just the one start in Australia - on the back of good trial form starting favourite in at Morphettville maiden, finishing off strongly to make a winning debut.

From there he made his way to the Pierre Ng stable and he was off and running straight away there as well - green but too good over 1200m at Sha Tin last October. He was beaten at his next start but from there went from strength to strength winning his next three by wide margins.

Right up in class when contesting the Gr.1 Queen's Jubilee Cup in mid-March, Galaxy Patch really caught the eye with his strong finishing second to the more seasoned California Spangle; a run that saw connections pay up a late entry fee for the Derby.

Larneuk Stud's Wandjina is the sire of Galaxy Patch.

Considered to be one of Hong Kong's most exciting young gallopers, Galaxy Patch is a son of Larneuk Stud's quiet achiever Wandjina - Gr.1 Australian Guineas winning son of the great Snitzel.

A horse who Larneuk's Neville Murdoch thinks is worthy of greater support, and to that end he is really going to push the stallion to breeders this spring.

Advertisement

"He is an underrated stallion who just keeps getting winners and, as Galaxy Patch shows, he is capable of siring a very good horse."

"He is an ideal horse for owner/breeders, and for the VOBIS scheme - he boasts a very good strike rate."

On top of Galaxy Patch, Wandjina has a number of promising young horses coming through such as the Kris Lees trained Infancy who from her first nine starts has won three races including the Listed Fireball Stakes at Randwick in early March.

 And the Nick Ryan trained Wirrpanda who - at just his third start (and his first as a gelding) - impressed charging home to claim his maiden at Geelong during the week.

 Wandjina's pedigree is an interesting one for breeders to take note of; bred on a 6 X 5 cross of the influential matriarch Best In Show via her descendants Redoute's Choice and Try My Best, he is picking up very well on further strains on that family (such as El Gran Senor who appears in Galaxy Patch) as well as on strains of the great mare La Troienne to whom he is line-bred - and who is ancestress of More Than Ready, dam sire of Galaxy Patch and Wirrpanda - as well as of Wandjina's stakes winner Express Pass.


For further information on Victoria's quiet achiever, get in touch with Larneuk Stud via neville@larneuk.com or 0418105706.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Hong Kong Stakes-Winner for Wandjina
Progressive Aussie bred gelding Galaxy Patch scored his first stakes win at Sha Tin on Sunday when the four year-old son of Wandjina scored a narrow victory in a thrilling finishing to the Group III Lion Rock Trophy(1600m)
HK Star for Wandjina – Galaxy Patch Wins G3 Premier Plate
Progressive Aussie bred gelding Galaxy Patch is a star on the rise in Hong Kong for his sire Wandjina, powering home from what looked an impossible position to win the Group III Premier Plate (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
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.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 29
Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Resolute Racing Purchase Top Lot Goffs Orby Day 1
The Goffs Orby Yearling Sale kicked off overnight and the top lot on Day 1 was a colt by Blue Point purchased by John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock for €675,000, while Wootton Bassett produced the top selling filly, whose half-brother Trinity College is now in Australia.
Jenni The Pride of Trelawney
Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night.
2025 G1 The Metropolitan Field and Barrier Draw
Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are set to have half of the Group I Metropolitan field between them with the Waller trained Birdman an easing favourite after drawing a wide gate for Saturday’s race.
She's Unusual Keeps Good Times Rolling
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.
Karaka Million Dreaming for Out of the Blue
Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest syndicate.
Tara Talks Racing - Insights from a Legend - Darren Beadman
Beiwacht upstaged his more fancied rivals to win the $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose last Saturday in course record breaking style to become the hottest colt in Australia giving us the opportunity to chat to a legend that has been very much involved in his story so far.