Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Leung paid $400,000 under his Magus Equine banner to buy Lot 271, a Russian Revolution colt from the draft of Ohukia Lodge, then followed that up with a $625,000 purchase of Lot 288. The latter colt was offered by BMD Bloodstock and is by Toronado out of the Zabeel mare Attractive, who is a half-sister to Gr.1 Goodwood Handicap (1200m) winner Velocitea.
“I rated that colt one of the best horses in the sale,” Leung said. “Toronado is going very well in Hong Kong, and it’s great to secure such a high-quality son of that stallion for Francis (Lui, trainer).”
Toronado stands at Swettenham Stud for a service fee of A$88,000. He has sired 22 winners from just 37 runners in Hong Kong, headed by Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) winner Victor The Winner, Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Helios Express, and Group Three winner and Gr.1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) placegetter Senor Toba. Leung hopes his new recruit could develop into a candidate to join that black-type list.
“The type of horse that he is, the dream is a race like the Hong Kong Derby (2000m),” he said. “He’ll probably stay here in New Zealand through until the end of next winter, and then we’ll take things from there.
“Francis and I have had some great luck at this sale in the past with horses like Golden Sixty, so let’s hope for some more.”
Golden Sixty was a $300,000 purchase from the 2017 Ready to Run Sale and went on to win 26 of his 31 starts including 10 Group One triumphs. He broke Hong Kong’s all-time prizemoney record with more than HK$167 million (NZ$34 million).
Leung added another purchase to his list not long after that big-priced double, paying another $180,000 for the Embellish gelding catalogued as Lot 299.
Leung spoke highly about this week’s 2024 edition of the Ready to Run Sale.
“It’s been a strong sale,” he said. “There are some very good quality horses here, and you have to be prepared to pay quite a bit of money to get the ones that you want.”