A vibrant 2026 Hong Kong International Sale saw 16 horses sold at Sha Tin on Friday night, with a Deep Field gelding topping the sale at HK$9.2 million for owner Alan Hu.
Sold as Lot 2, the bay gelding is by four-time Champion Sire in Hong Kong, Deep Field, while his dam is Hussterical. Hu, who also scooped Lot 1 – a son of Per Incanto – for HK$4.6 million, set the tone for a night of intense bidding where 11 of the 16 lots returned higher than HK$4 million and six of these surpassed HK$5 million.
A Savabeel gelding, offered as Lot 4, sold for HK$5.2 million to owner Yu Lung before a second son of Savabeel – Lot 10 – sold to Qin Fang for HK$5.4 million. Savabeel has more than 60 wins in Hong Kong, led by the likes of seven-time victors Rattan, Flame Hero and Ever Laugh.
An attractive gelding by Written Tycoon, sire of Group 2 winner Tomodachi Kokoroe, went to The Huw Syndicate for HK$4.6 million before Tang Kin-nam secured the first of two horses from South Africa – Lot 6, a son of Gimmethegreenlight for HK$3.8 million.
Austin Miu landed Lot 7 – a bay son of Dundeel for HK$5.4 million – before a chestnut son of Mehmas, sold as Lot 8, fell to owner Yan Ming for HK$5 million.
Overall, the total sale amount returned from 16 lots this evening was HK$76.2 million, up from the HK$45.1 million total of last year from 15 lots, while the average in 2026 was HK$4.76 million compared to 2025, when the average was slightly over HK$3 million.
Lot 9 was the second son of Deep Field to go through the ring, netting HK$6.6 million from Cheung Kwong-kwan as a son of Calyx fell for HK$3.4 million to Lam Wai-ying.
The likes of Helios Express, Little Paradise and Victor The Winner headline Toronado’s progeny currently racing in Hong Kong, and Lot 13 will aim to make his mark in the new season for owner Stephan Chan, who went to HK$4.6 million for the bay gelding.
Late sire Wootton Bassett was represented with Lot 14, an attractive bay out of the mare Semillon, who was bought for HK$3 million by Leung Shek-on, who currently races fellow Hong Kong International Sale graduate, Kingly Demeanor.
The second of the South African duo, a son of What A Winter sold as Lot 15, was secured by Cheung Kun-tong for HK$3.4 million. Starspangledbanner, sire of Group One hero California Spangle was represented by Lot 17, which was bought by The Amazing Family Syndicate for HK$4.8 million.
The Patch Syndicate reached HK$3.2 million for Lot 19, a brown gelding by I Am Invincible, while Lot 22 closed out the evening for HK$4 million to owner Tam Jin-rong.
“We’ve experienced a really healthy sale here tonight,” Jockey Club executive manager of the international sale and owners’ advisory services Danny Rolston said.
“There’s a really good increase in the average price, and I think, we’ve got a few factors right this year. But the message which comes out of today is the owner’s appetite for horse ownership in Hong Kong is really responding well to the bonus structure, increases in prize money and the initiatives the Club is putting into place.
“The first key indicator we saw towards having a good sale was the large increase in ballot applications this year. So, with a higher application rate for the ballot, more permits in the market and having the sale after the ballot this year – I think we had all of the ingredients right for a good sale.
“This is only part of the journey; it’s taken us two years with these horses to get here and we’ve only sold around 50 per cent of the horses we bought in that year. We’re holding the bar really, really high.
“We only want to bring the absolute best horses, the soundest horses, and the horses with the most ability and the best temperaments to the market. I think we did that today with a really reinvigorated appetite for ownership – the Hong Kong can-do spirit; I think we’ve seen that come out to play tonight.”
The median price tonight was HK$4.6 million, while in 2025 the median reached HK$2.6 million.
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