It was Lot 17 going through the ring at the Hong Kong International Sale at Sha Tin on Friday night that stole the show with the son of Starcraft fetching HK$8.5 million – the second highest figure ever at the annual sale.
The gelding, a full brother to Australian Group Three winner Havana, was bought by mainland owner Liu Yu-wen and will be trained by David Hall, who was one of the main beneficiaries of the sale, picking up three of the top six lots.
The move from a Saturday morning session to a Friday night sale under lights paid off for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with the 24 lots going for a combined HK$100.5 million, up 5.9 per cent on last year.
“Horses look better under lights! It’s a great atmosphere, we are always looking to provide a premier and elegant experience for our owners and tonight has really accomplished that,” said Tony Kelly, the Jockey Club’s executive director of racing business and operations.
