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Karaka Graduates Dominate Hong Kong Awards

3 minute read

Graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock sales claimed four trophies at Hong Kong's Champion Awards ceremony on Friday night.

The prize list was headed by a second consecutive Horse of the Year title for the record-breaking champion Beauty Generation.

The son of Road to Rock was bought for just $60,000 at the 2014 NZB Select Sale at Karaka.

The John Moore-trained gelding was unbeaten throughout 2018-19, breaking a Hong Kong season record with eight victories, four of them at G1 level including repeat victories in the Longines Hong Kong Mile and FWD Champions Mile.

Beauty Generation
Beauty Generation  Picture: HKJC

Beauty Generation has set a new all-time prize-money record of HK$84.7 million, the equivalent of $NZ16.2 million and more than 270 times his purchase price at Karaka where he was first bought by Kylie Bax's Hermes Syndications from the draft of Highden Park.

He has surpassed Moore's former Horse of the Year Viva Pataca (Marju) as the leading money earner and has $HK100 million within reach as he stays in training as a 7YO next season.

Along with his back-to-back Horse of the Year titles Beauty Generation was also named Champion Miler for the second consecutive year and Most Popular Horse.

The other award-winning Karaka graduate on Friday night was Beat The Clock, with the Hinchinbrook product named Champion Sprinter.

The John Size-trained star cost $NZ200,000 from the draft of Prima Park at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale.

He was a dual G1 winner this season in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m).

He was also second to Beauty Generation in the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

Beat The Clock has eight wins and has never been out of the top three in his 21 career starts for more than $HK34.9 million ($NZ6.67 million) in stakes, more than 33 times his purchase price.

Beat The Clock
Beat The Clock Picture: HKJC

Fellow Size trainee Champion's Way, also a son of the late Hinchinbrook, went from a rating of 52 to 108 winning six of his seven starts to be named Champion Griffin and also Most Improved Horse.

Champion's Way closed the season with a win in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy, a rare Group win for a 3YO.

The Tony Cruz-trained Exultant (Teofilo) became the fifth horse to be named Champion Middle Distance horse and Champion Stayer in the same season.

The 5YO faced the starter eight times in 2018/2019, becoming the first in Hong Kong history to complete the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase/G1 Champions & Chater Cup double, each over 2400m.

He proved his versatility with a victory in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and was also runner-up in the G1 QE II Cup at 2000m.

Exultant
Exultant  Picture: HKJC

Zac Purton, with 166 wins, was named Champion and Most Popular Jockey.

Of the 12 international G1 events contested in Hong Kong, Purton was first home seven times including two wins on International Day.

During the season, the Aussie champion joined the retired Douglas Whyte as the only riders to win 1000 Hong Kong races. He has set a single-season earnings record (HK$233.4 million) with Sunday's closing day program to come.


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