Cover image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB)
Hong Kong agent Willie Leung believes Kermadec’s (NZ) star is set to rise in the racing-mad jurisdiction, and he headed to this week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale keen to get his hands on one.
By early afternoon local time, it was mission accomplished, after Leung, under his Magus Equine Limited banner, went to NZ$250,000 for Lot 100 – a colt by the sire of Group 1 winners Montefilia, Tuvalu and Willowy, from the Kilgravin Lodge draft.
He is out of the winning Royal Academy (USA) mare Galleries, who is a three-quarter sister to dual Group 3 victor Royal Discretion and a half-sister to Listed winner Vezalay (Sharmardal {USA}).
Lot 100 - Kermadec (NZ) x Galleries (colt) | Image courtesy of NZB
The colt is closely related to Happy Meteor (Northern Meteor), who won seven times in Hong Kong, as well as Listed victress Roulettes (Flying Spur), who has thrown stakes winners Parlophone (I Am Invincible) and Sun City (Zoustar).
“I’m very happy with him, he is a very nice colt,” Leung told TDN AusNZ. “He is a nice type; he looks like a stayer and I was looking for a quality stayer.
“He walks really good, he’s a good size and Kermadec is performing pretty good in Hong Kong; that’s why I wanted to get one.
“He (Lot 100) walks really good, he’s a good size and Kermadec is performing pretty good in Hong Kong; that’s why I wanted to get one.” - Willie Leung
“His breeze-up (10.42s) was really good, he was relaxed and has a good temperament, which is a key to racing successfully in Hong Kong.”
Ahead of Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting, Kermadec had just five runners in Hong Kong, with three of them winners. That trio has combined for nine victories.
The John Size-trained Running Glory (NZ) is responsible for five of those successes, and his most recent triumph was in a Class 2 at Sha Tin in May, while his lone appearance this season was at the same track last month, where he was a close second behind Rise Brethren (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
Kermadec (NZ) | Standing at Darley
“Kermadec is going well in Hong Kong and that’s why I have started picking his progeny,” Leung explained. “I think he will get a lot more winners this season and beyond.”
Leung has a son of Kermadec racing in Australia, the Bjorn Baker-trained Midori Fuji (NZ). The 3-year-old won his maiden at Nowra in October and has had just the five starts.
From the Black Minnaloushe (USA) mare Beautiful Sister (NZ) - a sister to Group 3 winner Beautiful Girl (NZ) and granddaughter of Group 1 victress Round The World (NZ) (Sea Achor {Ire}), Leung paid $150,000 for him from the draft of Wentwood Grange (who also sold Kermadec as a yearling back in 2013) at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Highway Session.
“He recently won his maiden and has just gone for a spell,” said Leung.
“I will give him a bit more time in Australia before bringing him to Hong Kong.”
Leung returned to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2022 and purchased another son of Kermadec for $150,000, this time a colt out of Eva Cassidy (NZ) (Elvstroem), who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
“He is unnamed and will go to Hong Kong next month, he’s doing well,” Leung said.
Turning a profit
The sale was a hugely successful pinhook result for Kilgravin Lodge and one of its Queensland-based clients, with the colt initially purchased (by Paul Willetts Bloodstock Consultancy) for just $12,500 from the Asheigh Thoroughbreds draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale (Book 3).
Lot 100 - Kermadec (NZ) x Galleries (colt) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“That was a great result, he was owned by a client in Australia that does a lot of pinhooking,” Kilgravin Lodge’s owner and operator, Eion Kemp, told TDN AusNZ.
“When he arrived in May he was quite backward and he’s turned into a magnificent-looking animal.
“The horse has just done so well in the last three to four months.
“He’s got a lot of Royal Academy about him and he oozes quality.
“He’s (Lot 100) got a lot of Royal Academy about him and he oozes quality.” - Eion Kemp
“We are really rapt with the result, both for the farm and for the client.”
Kemp revealed their client has suffered a fair bit of hardship in recent times, so this outcome will be a massive shot in arm for him.
“He bought him specifically to come back to New Zealand and come back through our draft,” said Kemp.
“I’ve spoken to him (our client) since the sale of the colt and he is over the moon, just over the moon. He’s had a few tough months in Queensland with the floods; he’s been hit by floods four times this year, so it was really nice for something good to happen for them.”
“I’ve spoken to him (our client) since the sale of the colt (Lot 100) and he is over the moon, just over the moon. He’s had a few tough months in Queensland with the floods; he’s been hit by floods four times this year, so it was really nice for something good to happen for them.” - Eion Kemp
Kemp said the colt was “a little bit of a ratbag early on”, but has changed his ways, and his impending gelding operation will only improve his temperament.
“He was just a bit colty, but once he gets into his work, he actually concentrates and goes along nicely,” he said.
“I reckon he will be gelded pretty quickly and he’ll be fine, he’s got a great attitude towards it and he’s a good, tough, strong horse.”
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