Blue Gum Farm’s Flying Artie has been a newsmaker in the last few days with a four winner Saturday highlighted by the Group III MRC Sir John Monash Stakes winner In Flight, while another of his offspring was honoured in Hong Kong.
The end of season Hong Kong Jockey Club awards were held last Friday night and while super sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) dominated and Aussie bred Voyage Bubble also collected two awards there was another Aussie horse recognized and that was Flying Artie gelding My Wish.
The Mark Newnham-trained My Wish earned the title of this season’s Most Improved Horse after charting a stellar rise through the grades.
After starting the campaign rated 54, the Flying Artie gelding soared 51 points to 105 after achieving four wins, two seconds, two thirds and a fourth from nine starts in his second season, including his career-best performance when winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) in January.
My Wish ran well in the other two legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, finished second in both the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
My Wish is the first foal of Reset mare Set The Tone, a winner over 2100m, from a family which includes Group I winners Mazu and Headway.
After producing My Wish, she wasn’t served again until 2023 when she returned to Flying Artie, producing a full brother to My Wish last year before being served by Hawaii Five Oh.
Flying Artie is one of the best value sires in Victoria and is priced at $11,000 at Blue Gum Farm.