Lightly raced Deep Field three year-old Californiadeepshot made a winning debut at Happy Valley in Hong Kong on Wednesday after winning his only two previous starts in Australia for Peter and Paul Snowden.
Californiadeepshot broke the course record at Kembla for 1000 metres when clocking 55.84 seconds to win his first start back in August.
He won his next start at the same venue in September and was then dispatched to Hong Kong to join the stable of Tony Cruz.
Californiadeepshot won three barrier trials in Hong Kong before stepping out for real in the Class Three sprint over 1200 metres and kept his undefeated record intact.
“He’s been trialling good, he’s won both races overseas – I thought it might be tricky with the draw (12) but I had to be very confident, I had to make him understand everything about racing,” said winning rider Karis Teetan.
“He’d been to Happy Valley to trial so he knew what to expect, but what surprised me was how quickly he got that rail and that’s what won him the race. Once he got it he switched off underneath me until I needed him to quicken.”
A $260,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Asian Bloodstock Services from the Coolmore draft, Californiadeepshot runs for Hong Kong based owner Chloe Liang and is a half-brother to Group I placed Reemah from former brilliant Group II winning Testa Rossa mare Vormista.
Coolmore sold the current yearling from Vormista, a colt by Pride of Dubai, for $80,000 at Magic Millions to Dynamic Syndications.
Californiadeepshot is the first winner in Hong Kong for Newgate Farm’s Deep Field, who is the leading sire of three year-old winners ahead of Fastnet Rock, I Am Invincible and Snitzel.
