Karaka Graduate wins Bauhinia Sprint Trophy

Karaka graduates have made a strong start to 2018 in Hong Kong, and that red-hot run continued on Sunday as the $13,000 weanling purchase Premier (NZ) (Dylan Thomas) took out the HK$3 million Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m) at Sha Tin.

There have been two black-type races staged in Hong Kong since the beginning of January, and they have both been won by Karaka graduates.

Fifty Fifty(NZ) (Thorn Park) won the HK$3 million Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1400m) on New Year's Day for trainer Peter Ho and jockey Karis Teetan.

Six days later it was the John Size-trained Premiere, again ridden by Teetan, who excelled in his first attempt at stakes level.

After trailing the leader through the early part of the 1000-metre dash, Premiere took over in the closing stages and drew out to win by three-quarters of a length.

"In his trials, I'd been taking a sit on him and he'd been letting down nicely," Teetan said. "I knew that with a steady tempo set by Fabulous One, he'd get a nice trail and that he would let down – and he did!

"Once he got through the gap at the 300 metres, which he did very comfortably, he went on with it and he was so strong right to the line."

Raced by the DTFU Principal Syndicate, Premier has now had 16 starts for seven wins, three placings and HK$8.49 million in prizemoney – the equivalent of NZ$1.51 million, which is more than 116 times his purchase price.

Premier was bred by Calder Bloodstock Ltd, Octagon Bloodstock Ltd and Bill Thurlow, and he was offered at the 2014 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale by Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd.

The strong form of Karaka graduates in Hong Kong hasn't been limited to stakes races – Premiere was one of eight winners on Sunday's 10-race programme at Sha Tin. The others were Golden Dash (Snitzel), Sempiternal (NZ) (Postponed),Morethanlucky (NZ) (Per Incanto),Compassion Star (NZ) (Bullbars),Garlic Yeah (NZ) (Savabeel),Ping Hai Star (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) and Time To Celebrate (NZ) (Per Incanto).