Sacred Kingdom continued the domination of Inglis graduates in the G1 Hong Kong International Sprint when he won the event for the second time on Sunday.
Sacred Kingdom (6g Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie) was a $200,000 buy from the 2005 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale. He took his earnings beyond the $4.5million mark in winning the 2009 HK Sprint which was rated as the premier short-course race in the world this year.
From 11 runnings of the HK Sprint, Inglis graduates have won 6 times starting with inaugural winner Fairy King Prawn (Australian Easter). Silent Witness (Sydney Classic) and Sacred Kingdom (Melbourne Premier) are two-time winners while Inspiration (Australian Easter) scored 12 months ago.
Sacred Kingdom, who was bred by Noel Calvert in Victoria and offered for sale through his Kornong Stud draft, put the spotlight on the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in Hong Kong.
Two graduates of the 2009 Melbourne Premier were offered the Hong Kong 2yo Sale on Saturday. A Testa Rossa gelding from the Rory’s Jester mare Alternative Edge sold for $352, 600 after originally costing just $125,500 at Oaklands Junction.
An Anabaa gelding from the High Yield mare Investment Grade sold for $705,200 after being a $190,000 yearling at Oaklands this year.
“I’m delighted that Sacred Kingdom has bounced back to the form that we have come to expect over the last few seasons,” Inglis Director Peter Heagney said. “He has been a great ambassador for the Premier Sale.
“Additionally, the strong competition for the Testa Rossa and Anabaa youngsters at the International Sale reflects the high quality of horses that continue to go through the Melbourne sale each and every year. Buyers will find a similarly high quality of yearling at our 2010 sale next March.”
Featuring a catalogue of some 725 yearlings, the 2010 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale will be held at Oaklands from March 1-4. The online catalogue will be posted on the Inglis website (www.inglis.com.au) this week.
The catalogue includes six youngsters by Sacred Kingdom’s sire Encosta De Lago. The reigning Champion Sire of Australia will then have 65 yearlings heading to the Australian Easter Yearling Sale from April 6-8.