By Bren O'Brien
The rapid emergence of Big Party (Exceed And Excel) as a potential Group 1 level sprinter in Hong Kong has proven a huge fillip not only for trainer Frankie Lor and owners Ryan and Roland Wong, but also for breeders GSA Bloodstock, who offer his full brother through Bhima Thoroughbreds at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Big Party elevated from a Class 2 win on December 18 to his first stakes success when winning the G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy H. at Sha Tin on Sunday by 1.75l, his fifth win in nine starts.
Lor said he would discuss the possibility of heading to the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup in January with the 4-year-old's owners after assessing how he came through the run.
“I need to look at the horse tomorrow morning to see how he is,” Lor said. “After his last run he came back and was eating okay and everything looked good, so I talked to Joao (Moreira) and we decided to race him today. It’s three weeks to the Group 1 so we need to see how the horse is tomorrow and then we can start to think.
“He has had issues with his back and knee but at the moment everything is okay; I need to look after him very carefully. He’s a little bit tricky because he wins and then nothing.”
Frankie Lor
With Moreira suffering an untimely bout of flu, Grant Van Niekirk took the mount and was impressed in his first ride on the gelding since April, having won on him twice this time last year.
"He’s definitely good enough to run in that (Group 1) race, he’s got potential and I think he’s good enough to take on the big guns,” he said.
“He didn’t take on the best in this race but there were still some decent sprinters in there and he won with authority and that must count.”
“He didn’t take on the best in this race but there were still some decent sprinters in there and he won with authority and that must count.” - Grant Van Niekirk
Big Party was purchased for $420,000 by ABC Bloodstock at the 2017 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. He is the first stakes winner for De Groove (Dehere {USA}), who has previously had two stakes-placed horses in General Groove (General Nediym) and Top Me Up (Exceed And Exceed).
De Groove, a sister to Listed winner Super Groove and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Taikun (Anabaa {USA}), had her now 2-year-old filly by Scissor Kick sell for $125,000 through Bhima to Triple Crown Syndications at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.
Now named Silver Kick, she is yet to race but trialled at Rosehill on Monday for Peter and Paul Snowden, finishing fifth.
Silver Kick as a yearling
The full brother to Big Party is catalogued as Lot 226 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and like his brother and most of the family, carries the distinctive grey colouring. He looks lighter in colour than Big Party as a yearling but is very similar to him in type.
Exceed And Excel x De Groove (colt) catalogued as Lot 226 at the 2020 Magic Millions
Big Party defeated Big Time Baby (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), with Thanks Forever (Duporth), in third.
Other Australian-bred winners on the Sha Tin program were Clear Choice (Rebel Raider), Shining Gem (Makfi {GB}) and Falcon Turbo (Nicconi), while NZ-bred duo Fortune Brilliant (NZ) (Pins) and Mighty Giant (NZ) (Power {GB}) were also successful.
