WA owners Santo Guagliardo and Chris Wells have Group 1 triumphs in common at Ascot and they shared more success at the Sha Tin meeting on Saturday with Hong Kong multi-millionaires Tourbillon Prince (Rommel) and Helios Express (Toronado).
They’re accustomed to the big stage on home turf in Perth’s Railway Stakes – Guagliardo won it with Bustler (Playing God) in 2023 and Wells with Scales Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt) in 2016.
Tourbillon Prince (6g Rommel – Colleges by Elusive Quality) was bred by Guagliardo and has pooled prizemoney of HK$7.42 million following his fifth off-shore victory for trainer Benno Yung in the Ma Liu Shui Hcp (1600m).
With Luke Ferraris aboard, he appreciated the return of a senior rider and travelled one off in third spot before drawing clear to score by more than two lengths. “Benno certainly has this horse going well – he’s a real soldier for the stable,” Ferraris said. “If he gets conditions to suit like he did today then he’s very hard to beat.”
Tourbillon Prince had raced as Pale Rider in Perth for trainer Ted Martinovich winning at Ascot and Belmont before a Group 2 second in the 2022 WA Derby (2400m).
His dam Colleges is from a sister to the Sadler’s Wells Group 1 Champion In The Wings (Breeders Cup Turf, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud & Epsom Coronation Cup).
Colleges foaled LR Summer Scorcher (1000m) winner Oxbridge (City Place) for Yarradale Stud before being leased to Guagliardo. She has been a regular cover for Rommel beginning with Tourbillon Prince followed by Mitch Pateman’s multiple Ascot winner Catch These Hands.
Helios Express (5g Toronado – Paris Texas by Hinchinbrook) was rewarded for a season of remarkable consistency with deserved victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on Saturday. He settled at the tail of the field before fanning wide to nail G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) winner Invincible Sage (Thronum).
“I’ve had a lot to do with the second horse,” winning jockey Hugh Bowman said. “They both got soft track conditions to suit and both ran to their premium. Helios Express been chasing Ka Ying Rising all season and, with his absence, he was the number one seed and came out in front.”
Trained by John Size, Helios Express had won the 2024 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and HK Classic Mile (1600m) but has been repeatedly foiled by the world’s highest-rated sprinter Ka Ying Rising. Nevertheless, he has amassed prizemoney of HK$41.73 million.
That’s a far cry from his humble beginnings in WA. His dam Paris Texas was bred by Namerik Thoroughbreds owner Alan Bansemer and he sold her to Wells for $60,000 at the 2015 Perth Magic Millions.
“Paris Texas won a few races but had issues so I bred her to Toronado at Swettenham Stud,” Wells said. “I sold Helios Express for $10,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale and have been cheering him on the whole way through.”