Thumbs Up HKG1 Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile winner

Shaune Ritchie Racing has proven experience of sourcing and preparing horses for Hong Kong (HK) owners, many winning at the top level. Whether as a purchaser on owners’ behalf at the sales, preparing winners often sold to HK agents, or successfully conditioning them for racing in New Zealand & Australia.

SRR Services include:

• Recommendations on conformation, type and breeding
• Purchasing on behalf of owners
• Preparation to meet HK import criteria
• Advice on attaining qualifications; Age, Starts, Permits, Performance and HK Ratings
• Also guidance on Special Replacement Permits and ‘Griffin’ qualifiers

Shaune prepared THUMBS UP in NZ and facilitated his sale to HK ownership.

Thumbs Up went on to win:

• The Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile HK Gr1 – One of the four most prestigious international horse races in HK, the others being; The HK’ Cup, Vase and Sprint

And was First Runner up in six HK Gr1’s:

• The Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby,
• The Citi Champions & Chater Cup,
• The Stewards’ Cup,
• The Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup,
• The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase, and
• The Audemars Piguet QEII Cup.

New Zealand has long been the origin of many of the most successful horses to race in Hong Kong with HK Horse of the Year Winners; Beauty Generation, Werther, Ambitious Dragon (twice), Vengeance of Rain.

NZ bred Champion Beauty Generation is the equal “world’s best miler” alongside Australian super-mare Winx and is confirmed as Hong Kong’s joint top-rated horse of all-time.

The BMW Hong Kong Derby (HK$18 million) dates back to 1873 and is the race that every Hong Kong horseman dreams of having a runner. The 2000-metre contest, which is run at Sha Tin Racecourse in March, is the third and final leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

Mr. Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Racing, said: “The BMW Hong Kong Derby is the race every HK owner wants to win”.

Record prizemoney in HK announced in July 2019
Hong Kong racing will offer record prizemoney of HK$1.3 billion (NZ$246.5 million) for the 2019/20 season. Lucrative increases to FWD Champions Day’s three Group One races and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) feature among the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s upward adjustments revealed today, Tuesday, 9 July.

New Zealand-bred gallopers have enjoyed another fine season in Hong Kong, winning more black-type races (13) than any other nation. New Zealand-bred horses have won 25.8 percent of races in Hong Kong this season from a supply of 23.5 percent of runners.

The historic BMW Hong Kong Derby is Hong Kong’s most important domestic contest and will be worth HK$20 million (NZ$ 3.79 million, a HK$2 million increase on the 2019 renewal.

Additionally, six of the past 10 Hong Kong Derby winners are New Zealand-bred, including this year’s winner Furore.

Shocking Stakes-Winner Sold to Hong Kong

Stakes-Winning Three-Year-Old Formidable has achieved 3 wins in the HK 18/19 Season.

The son of Shocking’s last-start victory in the Listed 3YO Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie stamped him as a strong staying prospect and a performance that attracted interest from afar.

“He’s been bought by Stuart Hale Bloodstock and he’s in quarantine and will be heading to Hong Kong on Wednesday,” former trainer and part-owner Shaune Ritchie said. NZ Racing Desk

The Latest of Many for SRR: Mr Croissant.

The Darci Brahma 3YO started his HK career in 2019, first 5 starts with 2 wins and 3 placings.

SRR purchased the gelding from The Oaks Stud draft at the 2019 Karaka – Book 1 for $105,000.

Some more recent’s include Tianchi Monster and Super Alliances.