Champion jockey James McDonald had a massive day at Sha Tin on Sunday riding Romantic Warrior (IRE) and Voyage Bubble to victory in Group I races, but he started the day with an earlier success aboard talented Brave Smash (Jpn) gelding Divano.
Trained by Francis Lui, Divano continued his rise through the grades to win the Class 3 sprint over 1200m by nearly two lengths and has now won three of eight starts with four placings.
Divano was a successful pinhook, bought by Jim Carey for $57,500 from the Erinvale Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale and then re-offered at Inglis Classic where he made $90,000 to the bid of Ryan & Alexiou Racing / D Raphael.
Bred by Aquis in partnership, Divano is the first winner for Been Scene, a three time winning Bianconi (USA) mare, whose grand-dam is Group III winner Princess Plume.
Divano is the second winner in Hong Kong from just three starters for Brave Smash, whose third crop of foals are two year-olds and already include the Brisbane metro winner Strawberry Smash.
The first crop of Yarraman Park bred foals for Brave Smash are on the ground this spring and promise deliver a bright future for the young stallion, who got his first Group I winner this season in Kimochi.
Brave Smash has five entries for Magic Millions and four for Inglis Classic.
