The title of Champion HK Griffin is one not bestowed lightly on a talented three year-old with two of the past three winners being Champion Sprinters Ka Ying Rising (NZ) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) and the exciting winner for 2024/2025 was announced last night at the final meeting of the season at Happy Valley.
This year the award was won by the John Size-trained and Tung Moon Fai-bred and owned Sky Jewellery, who rose from 52 in the ratings at the start of the season to 79 with three wins and a second.
By The Autumn Sun from Group I winning Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) mare Rollout the Carpet, Sky Jewellery is the third winner from five foals to race from a quality race filly that won from 1200 to 1600m with the Group I New Zealand One Thousand Guineas her career highlight.
Sky Jewellery was exported to Hong Kong in July last year and after a good grounding at the trials made a winning debut at Happy Valley over 1200m on January 15.
He won at Sha Tin over 1400m in February and after running second over the same course in March was stepped up to 1600m for his final run of the year when strolling home to win by two lengths for Hugh Bowman.
The rich Four Year Old Series culminating in the Hong Kong Derby is sure to be the target for Sky Jewellery next year and he has the pedigree to suggest the gradual step up to 2000m will be right up his alley.
Arrowfield Stud’s The Autumn Sun looks well placed to build on his success next season and not just in Hong Kong with this rising star!
On the home front he has unearthed another colt with huge potential for next season in stakes-winner Autumn Boy, who went to the paddock with two wins in as many starts for champion trainer Chris Waller, who also trained his sire The Autumn Sun.
His unbeaten filly Autumn Glow will also be returning as a four year-old mare in the spring and where she ends up is anybody’s guess.
Her wins to date have come between 1200 and 1400m, but pedigree would suggest 1600m might be within her scope although that massive chest and muscular physique do make you think shorter trips might be her forte.
The Autumn Sun did not cover at Arrowfield last season due to an injury, but following the passing of Snitzel is sure to be busy this spring as the only remaining son of Redoute’s Choice on their roster with his fee set at $66,000.
