A trio of Newcastle racing enthusiasts who became hobby breeders with a mare who won only one country race in NSW and was purchased for $3000 can now lay claim to breeding a Hong Kong star.
Newcastle trainer Steve Hodge and close friends Brad and Fran Marshall are celebrating My Wish’s victory for Sydney and now Hong Kong-based trainer Mark Newnham in last week’s HK$13m Hong Kong Classic Mile for four-year-olds at Sha Tin.
My Wish, who initially was trained by Hodge when he was known as Lika Ryder, never raced in Australia.
Three offers came quickly from Hong Kong after the then three-year-old led throughout to trounce five rivals in an 800m barrier trial for two and three-year-old maidens on Newcastle’s Beaumont track on September 29, 2023.
His breeders parted company for a substantial six-figure amount, and since have bred a full brother to My Wish.
Click here to read the full story of My Wish’s path to Hong Kong stardom by John Curtis at Provincial Racing NSW.
