The inaugural China Equine Cultural Festival Race Day was held on Saturday and the Irish bred filly Beat Of The Drum drew first blood in the Pengxin National Breeders Cup (1600m).

Beat Of The Drum (Duke Of Marmalade) led throughout under Singapore jockey K B Soo to defeat Hales (Haradasun) and Parliament Square (Acclamation).  The Pengxin National Breeders Cup was worth AUD 173,025 and was the feature event at the Hohhot racecourse which is situated 1,000km west of Beijing.

In other results, Surrealist (Montjeu) won the France Galop Gold Cup (2000m), Nassau (Rock Of Gibraltar) landed the Longines Mile (1600m) and Outpost (Giant’s Causeway) won the Sir Owen Glenn Spring Cup (1000m).

“The response to the CECF Race Meeting has been tremendous,” China Horse Club Chairman Teo Ah Khing said.  “It is an important step for the emergence of a thoroughbred industry in China.”

Earlier this year, Coolmore Stud was invited to partner the Chinese Government owned Tianjin State Farms and China Horse Club affiliate Desert Star Holdings to establish a breeding operation for the Tianjin Equine Culture City project.

It  marked the first Chinese Government involvement with an overseas joint venture in horse racing and breeding.  It will be a vital supply chain for China’s thoroughbred industry.