A Starspangledbanner gelding returned the highest price at the 2024 Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS) at Sha Tin this evening (Friday, 15 March) after attracting a bid of HK$5.4 million.

Lot 20 was purchased by Cheung Kwok Wing for the sale-leading price. Starspangledbanner’s progeny in Hong Kong are the Group 1-winning California Spangle, Beauty Eternal and the five-time winning Nordic Dragon, a recent graduate of the HKIS.

So Wing Keung bought Lot 7 for HK$4.2 million, the second highest-priced purchase, a son of Savabeel, whose progeny in Hong Kong includes the Group 2-winning Rattan.

Trainer Caspar Fownes was active and he purchased two horses, Lot 10, a bay son of Per Incanto for HK$2.8 million and Lot 18, an Australian-bred by Dundeel for HK$3.5 million.

Alan Kiang Ping Fai, who owns Gummy Gummy in partnership, secured Lot 12 for HK$3.8 million, a bay gelding by Deep Field out of the mare Onemorezeta.

Romantic Warrior is the sale’s highest earner in history with HK$127.07 million in the bank and his trainer, Danny Shum, collected Lot 19 for HK$3.6 million.

The Kwok family landed Lot 8 for HK$3 million. The gelding is by I Am Invincible out of the mare Lipari, he is a half-brother to the Group 1-winning Levendi.

Yeung Kin Man, owner of BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) entrant Galaxy Patch, bought Lot 1 for HK$3 million. Nikki Ng Mien Hua, who raced 2018 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Singapore Sling, purchased Lot 2 for HK$3.2 million, a son of No Nay Never.

Lot 4 went to Ng Yiu Kwok for HK$3.2 million, Lot 9 to the Happy Life Syndicate for HK$2.2 million, Lot 11 for HK$3.2 million to Yip Shu Bun, Lam Shui Wah picked up Lot 16 for HK$2.2 million, while Lot 15 sold to Jackie Wong See Sum for HK$3 million.

Mr Danny Rolston, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services, said: “We have a lot of confidence in the horses that we have offered and what we’re probably seeing is that when we bought these horses two years ago is that we were operating in a very intense yearling market, so we’ve bought these horses at the very top of the market and we’re seeing a softening in horse sales around the world, which we’ve seen tonight, we’ve also seen a softening in our wagering turnover and also in the local stock market.

“I think the story of the night is that the sale has seen a bit of a drop in average, but with that comes an opportunity that we were able to give forward to our permit holders with some really nice horses.”

The average of the sale was HK$3.307 million, the median priced was HK$3.2 million, while the total sale returned HK$46.3 million.