HONG KONG ROUND UP: FOWNES’ CHANCE PAYS WITH EXPLOSIVE WIN IN G3 BAUHINIA SPRINT TROPHY - PAGE 10 SIZE FINDS A WINNING SOLUTION FOR CHAMPION’S WAY - PAGE 11 HONG KONG RESULTS - PAGE 37 Saturday, January 2, 2021 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here YESTERDAY'S STAKES RESULTS AND ANALYSIS - PAGE 19 GLOBAL SALES DATES - PAGE 17 Fifth Group 1 win for What's on Stakes races: Eagle Farm (QLD) - Vo Rogue Avantage in Railway Plate (Gr 3, 1400m), Nudgee Stakes (Listed, 1200m). Ascot (WA) - Perth Cup (Gr 2, Fastnet Rock strikes stakes success on both sides of the Tasman with 2400m), La Trice Classic (Gr 3, 1800m), champion Kiwi mare a New Year’s Day highlight Summer Scorcher (Listed, 1000m) Metropolitan meetings: Randwick - Kensington (NSW), Caulfield (VIC), Eagle Farm (QLD), Gawler (SA), Ascot (WA), Darwin (NT) Race meetings: Wyong (NSW), Forbes (NSW), Toowoomba (QLD), Townsville (QLD), Esperance (WA), Tauranga (NZ), Tauherenikau (NZ) Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Forbes (NSW) International meetings: Taipa (MAC), Lingfield (UK), Turffontein (SAF), Kenilworth (SAF), Santa Anita (USA) International Group races: Turffontein (SAF) - London News Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m). Santa Anita (USA) - San Gabriel Stakes (Gr 2, 9f), Sham Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) Avantage NZTM Of the nine Ellerslie stakes races across BY ANDREW HAWKINS | @ANZ_NEWS Boxing Day and New Year’s Day before the avid Ellis’ Te Akau Racing Railway, Richards had won five of them: three and trainer Jamie Richards in the Te Akau tangerine, taking the Uncle dominated Ellerslie’s Christmas Remus Stakes (Listed, 1400m) with Brando MORNING BRIEFING Carnival to the extent that (Savabeel) and the Eight Carat Classic (Gr anythingD other than a win to champion 2, 1600m) with Amarelinha (Savabeel) last Diamond beckons for Flowers mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) in the Sistema Saturday before adding the Eclipse Stakes (Gr Connections of Frosted Flowers are Railway (Gr 1, 1200m) would have been a 2, 1200m) with Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) contemplating a tilt at the Blue Diamond disappointment. yesterday. Continued on page 2>> Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with the filly following her impressive debut win yesterday. MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST YEARLING SALE PINHOOKERS - PAGE 15 Morning Briefing page 7 >> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Fifth Group 1 win for Avantage in Railway | 2 | Saturday, January 2, 2021 << Continued from page 1 On Boxing Day, Richards won six straight races but couldn’t claim the day’s feature, the Zabeel Classic (Gr 1, 2000m). Yesterday, though, the team’s hot streak during the festive season resulted in a top-level score as Avantage (5 m Fastnet Rock - Asavant by Zabeel) won her fifth Group 1 in the Railway. Backed into $2.10 favourite against a field that included defending champion Julius (Swiss Ace), well-travelled Group 1 winner Summer Passage (Snitzel) and potential top-class sprinter Levante (Proisir), Avantage was gifted a stellar ride from Opie Bosson. Settling in the box seat directly behind leader Julius, Bosson forced out into the three-wide line on the I CAN’T DO IT ON MY apex of the turn and quickly set sail after the pace-setter. Julius, OWN AND I HAVE A Avantage NZTM WONDERFUL TEAM though, with his nine years of wisdom, kept finding resolutely, Stakes to her victories in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, BEHIND ME, I HAVE while Levante - as is her habit - 1400m), Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), the Haunui Farm Classic (Gr 1, DAVID BUYING THEM was seven lengths off the speed 1600m) and the New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). AND DAVE AND KARYN at the 150 metres and yet to pass Levante lost few admirers with her hard-charging third, just over a SYNDICATING THEM, a runner. length from the winner. SO IT’S A GREAT RECIPE In the shadows of the post, “It’s a special moment in what has been a great carnival for us,” trainer FOR SUCCESS Avantage ranged up and passed Jamie Richards said. “I can’t do it on my own and I have a wonderful team - JAMIE RICHARDS Julius by, taking the win by a behind me, I have David buying them and Dave and Karyn syndicating neck and adding the Railway them, so it’s a great recipe for success. Continued on page 4>> WAR DECREE WAR FRONT X ROYAL DECREE (STREET CRY) THE APPLES AREN’T FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE see for yourself at www.nzb.co.nz FIRST CROP YEARLINGS SELLING 2021 Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by 1 in 5 G1 RACES this season were WON by -sired STARS G1 Darley Flight Stakes G1 Darley Sprint Classic G1 Spring Champion Stakes G1 Melbourne Cup G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes G1 Winterbottom Stakes Buy Yearlings by Astern, Brazen Beau, Epaulette, Exceed And Excel, Exosphere, Frosted, Holler, Impending, Kermadec, Lonhro, Medaglia d’Oro, Ribchester, Sepoy, Shooting To Win, Street Boss, and Territories in 2021 Fifth Group 1 win for Avantage in Railway | 4 | Saturday, January 2, 2021 << Continued from page 2 “The logical step for her next is the (2 f I Am Invincible - Berimbau by Shamardal), a 2020 Magic Millions Gold Telegraph. That was what we did last year after running in the Hallmark Coast Yearling Sale graduate. here and then back to Te Rapa for the BCD Sprint. Fellow Magic Millions alum and stablemate Sword Of State (Snitzel) was “She has a great constitution and we put a lot of thought and effort sent out as the hot favourite, having created a big impression on debut at Te into this one after she had her run at 2000 metres. You have to have the Rapa last month, while Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winner horse to do it though and luckily we have. Stormy (Telperion) and his unraced barn companion Khufu (American “Opie hasn’t had the greatest of days, so for him to pull out a peach of a Pharoah) were also expected to feature in a race dominated by the colts. ride like that and get the job done shows they are both a couple of champions.” However, it was the filly, also a winner at start one at Otaki, who proved Richards was referring to a hefty suspension imposed on Bosson, who too sharp, demonstrating a deft turn of foot from just off the speed before will miss most of January after being charged with two counts of careless holding off the late surge of Stormy to score by a head. The pair came right riding earlier on the card. The rider will be out of the saddle from tomorrow away with Sword Of State another four and a half lengths away in third. until January 28, meaning he will miss the chance to win a fifth straight “I was so excited to ride this filly today,” said winning rider Danielle Karaka Million 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) after taking the NZ$1 million Johnson. “I galloped her here at Ellerslie a couple of weeks ago and she feature on Melody Belle (Commands), Avantage, Probabeel (Savabeel) gave me such a good feel that day. and the recently retired Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) the last four years. “She’s progressed so well. She takes everything in her stride. She just “It’s been a tough day so I’m pleased I could get that win on her,” gives me the feel of such a good horse. Bosson said. “We got a soft run and I knew she was class and a real trier as “I knew Sword Of State was going to be hard to beat, and Tony Pike’s well, as she gives 100 per cent every time she goes out there. horse (Khufu) had a big reputation, but this is such an exciting filly. I just “I knew Levante had run into a bit of traffic, so I was happy to put my knew she’d run well.” mare in a handy spot and she did the rest.” Purchased for $360,000 from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at last Avantage, a NZ$210,000 purchase from The Oaks Stud’s draft at the year’s Magic Millions, Imperatriz is the first foal to race out of the Group 2017 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, has now earned almost NZ$1.67 2-placed mare Berimbau (Shamardal), from a family of prolific winners. million in prize-money. It may have proved a timely win, too, with Bhima Thoroughbreds She remains the best performer out of the Group 1-placed mare offering Imperatriz’s half-sister by Fastnet Rock at this year’s Magic Asavant (Zabeel), although Avantage’s younger sister Asathought (So You Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She is catalogued as Lot 96. Think) is making a name for herself on the South Island, placing at Listed Berimbau was served by Press Statement (Hinchinbrook) in September. level last season and winning last weekend over 2200 metres. Richards also took out the City Of Auckland Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) with While there is plenty of stamina throughout the family, Asavant is consistent mare Savy Yong Blonk (5 m Savabeel - Ampin by Pins), who herself a half-sister to Hong Kong’s Group 1-winning sprinter D B Pin finally shed her bridesmaid tag at stakes level after recording four Group 3 (Darci Brahma). placings throughout her career. Avantage’s two-year-old sister Mystic Mermaid is in training with In a reversal of last year’s quinella in the same race, when Platinum Invador Chris Waller for Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock. And while Asavant will (Redwood) defeated Savy Yong Blonk by two and three-quarter lengths, this not be represented this sales season, having missed to Merchant Navy time it was the mare who prevailed, holding off the Lisa Latta trainee by a nose.