Ready to Run Quinella in Macau Derby

Media Release - Monday July 29

With a dominant performance in Saturday's M$2,6 million Macau Derby (1800m), Sacred Capital (NZ) (O'Reilly) headed a quinella for graduates of the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.

Sacred Capital was a $580,000 purchase at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale, while runner-up Eclair Lightning(NZ) (Darci Brahma) cost $125,000 at the same Sale.

Sacred Capital wins the Macau DerbySacred Capital was the favourite for Saturday's Derby on the strength of his impressive lead-up form, and he lived up to expectations despite drawing the outside gate in a 14-horse field.

After showing good early speed under jockey Peter Ho, Sacred Capital moved across to the rail to sit just behind the leader.

Angled into the clear at the top of the straight, Sacred Capital showed a brilliant turn of foot to burst to a clear lead 200 metres from the finish. Eclair Lightning made up ground in the final stages, but Sacred Capital was well out of reach and scored by a length and three-quarters.

It was a third Macau Derby victory in the last five years for prominent owners Raffles Racing.

"Boom! Our boy Sacred Capital won the 2019 Macau Derby, followingThe Alfonso(Magnus) in 2015 andSacred Man(Fastnet Rock) in 2017," they tweeted. "Well done trainer Joe Lau and jockey W L Ho. Big congrats to our partner Eric Chen."

Sacred Capital began his career under the name Rellson in Australia, where his six starts included a maiden victory, a fourth in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1400m) and sixth placings in the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) and Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).

Since relocating to Macau, Sacred Capital has won five of his seven starts and earned more than M$2 million in prize-money (NZ$374,000).

Advertisement

Sacred Capital comes from a strong New Zealand family, with his damHonolulu(NZ) (Savabeel) being a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and sireAlamosa(NZ) (O'Reilly).

"He was one that we had earmarked in that Ready to Run Sale, but the final price was too rich for our blood," Raffles Farm manager Bruce Sherwin told NZ Racing Desk. "The opportunity arose to take a shareholding in him, and we jumped at the chance.

"He did his initial racing in Australia under the name Rellson, where he won once from six starts without really setting the world alight.

"We had identified him as the ideal type for Macau, so Dato Yap's son Kyan made an offer to buy out the other partners in the horse, which was accepted and he was sent to Joe Lau's stable where he has absolutely thrived.

"Joe has done a wonderful job with our horses over a number of years and has come up trumps once again. The horse looked a picture and raced accordingly."

The 2019 Ready to Run Sale will be held at Karaka on November 20 and 21.

Vendor Waikato Stud
Purchaser Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/Bruce Perry Bloodstock/Waterford Bloodstock
Breeding O'Reilly – Honolulu
Sale Lot 263, 2016 Ready to Run Sale, $580,000
Bred by Waikato Stud
Advertisment
More Reading...
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Yes Yes Yes to Stand at Gooree Park Stud
When Yes Yes Yes scored a course record breaking win in The Everest in 2019, the three year-old colt delivered a fairytale result for his ownership group and some of those owners are committed to ensuring his future at stud going forward and they include Julia Ritchie.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
Sword Poised to Strike
When the first crop yearlings by a young stallion are well received and go into the right stables that’s always a good sign and then a few months after that is when things start to get really interesting.
So You Think 3YO Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Good placement from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable for progressive three year-old So You Think gelding Aloysius, who cast off maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday in a race that featured a lucrative Inglis Xtra maiden bonus.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Super Seth has had three G1 winners in Australia this season and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have trained two of them, so when they produce a lightly raced maiden winner by this exciting young sire we want to know more.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 2
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Quality Cambridge Stud draft in National Online Breeding Stock Sale
The need for Cambridge Stud to control the size of their star-studded broodmare band has opened up some special opportunities in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday morning and the winners include unraced youngsters by Cool Aza Beel and I Am Invincible, plus a Farnan colt that tried his luck in Group races in the autumn and was far from disgraced.