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The Hong Kong International Sprint has been taken out 12 times by Australian bred performers since its introduction in 1999 but a victory by the Gary Moore-trained Takedown or Gary Portelli's Rebel Dane next Sunday would make either only the second winner bred, owned and trained in this country.

The only previous HK Sprint winner to truly represent Australia has been Falvelon, a pioneer for Australian horses participating at the Hong Kong International meeting after he competed in three successive years for two wins and a third in the Sprint.

His 15 wins included the G1 Doomben Ten Thousand and G1 BTC Cup on two occasions each. He was also placed in another Doomben Ten Thousand, G1 VRC Newmarket, G1 VRC Lightning Stakes, G1 Cantala Stakes and G1 Oakleigh Plate.

Bred in Queensland and raced by Dawn Falvey, Falvelon was trained in Brisbane by Danny Bougoure.

He was by Alannon, the son of the imported Noalcoholic who died after only one season standing the then new Glenlogan Park Stud in Queensland.

Alannon’s one crop produced 58 starters for 40 winners of 144 races.

He was one of two sires retired to Glenlogan Park in 1995, the other being St Covet, a Blue Diamond Stakes winner and beaten a short head by Danzero in the 1994 Golden Slipper.

He too was a tragic breeding loss when he died after only three seasons that resulted in 136 starters for 110 winners (10 SWs) of 400 races and over $12 million.

One of St Covet’s performers All Thrills Too finished third to Falvelon in the 2001 Hong Kong International Sprint and then beat him in the race next year.

They were separated by Firebolt, an Irish-bred son of Golden Slipper winner Flying Spur.

The fact that two horses sired by Glenlogan’s short lived sires in a period of three years won the Hong Kong Sprint three times and third placed twice challenges as one of the most spectacular achievements by sires at a new stud.

The difference between Falvelon and All Thrills Too is that the latter, like all the other Australian sired Hong Kong Sprint winners, was owned and trained in Hong Kong.

They were 1999 winner Fairy King Prawn (Danehill), Silent Witness (El Moxie; 2003/2004), Natural Blitz (Dehere; 2005), Absolute Champion (Marauding; 2006), Sacred Kingdom (Encosta de Lago; 2007/2009), Inspiration (Flying Spur, 2008) and Lucky Nine (Kempinsky; 2011).

Australian produced sprinters won the first 11 runnings but missed out in 2010 when the race went to the South African star JJ The Jet Plane.

They have now missed out in four successive years since Japan’s Lord Kanaloa won his double in 2012 and 2013 followed by New Zealand bred Aerovelocity (Pins) in 2014 and Peniaphobia, an Irish-bred son of Dandy Man, in 2015.

Most of the winners have been geldings, the three exceptions being sires Falvelon, Natural Blitz and Lord Kanaloa.

Natural Blitz is standing at Mogumber Park in Western Australia while Lord Kanaloa, based at Japan’s Shadai Stallion Station, is yet to have runners.

Falvelon replaced his ill-fated sire Alannon at Glenlogan Park in 2003 where he has sired 341 winners of over 1220 races and $46.2million.

They have included Walking Or Dancing (8 wins), Mr Profumo (12), Excellantes (12), Gundy Son (10), Joe Czarina (10), Mr Favulous (12), Kryptelon (9), Craiglea Falcon (18), Bionic Boy (8), Platinum State (9), Fav Fevola (8), Fangles (13), Falco Star (8), Lucky Twin Star (11), Falontino (11) and Brigadoon Jack (10).

Falvelon was represented by recent Rosehill winner Madotti, while the impressive Moe and Moonee Valley winner Wise Hero (Kaphero) is from his daughter Choose Wisely.

Falvelon is also the sire of the 2YO filly Sista Act, a winner at the Sunshine Coast and heading for a start in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Lord Kanaloa was a Japanese Horse of the Year and twice Champion Sprinter/Miler. He has seven foals in Australia from matings to southern hemisphere time to Japanese bred mares.