Photo: HKJC
New Zealand-bred sprinter Raging Blizzard (Per Incanto) gained a deserved stakes breakthrough in Sunday’s Gr.2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin, heading a successful afternoon for horses with New Zealand connections.
The Jamieson Park-bred gelding produced a powerful late finish to claim the HK$5.35 million feature for trainer John Size and jockey Brenton Avdulla, while four graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale also struck on the programme.
Speedy Power, Ka Ying Lightning, Megastar Heart and Packing Glory delivered another reminder of the sale’s influence in Hong Kong, where its graduates won 15 percent of all races last season.
Raging Blizzard carried topweight of 135lb and settled near the rear before unleashing his challenge to catch Ka Ying Attack, who had established a three-length advantage at the 300m.
The seven-year-old prevailed by a head, with Crimson Flash a neck away in third, stopping the clock at 1:07.71 after covering his final 400m in 22.02 seconds.
The victory was his seventh from 30 starts and lifted his earnings to HK$26.24 million, rewarding his consistency against Hong Kong’s leading sprinters.
“It's a bit of justice for him — he's tried so hard in all his races. He's been unlucky running into some very nice horses constantly, but eventually, he's rewarded for his consistency. So, it was quite satisfying to see him win this race,” Size said.
“It was probably a special event for a lot of the connections, so we're quite happy and relieved for the horse to win a race and for the owners, who have been sort of believing in him for such a long time.
“He's got a lovely temperament. He's in beautiful condition most of the time and he's sound and he does very well. He's a pleasure to work with.”
Bred by Jamieson Park, Raging Blizzard is by Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto out of Perfect Beat.
Runner-up to Ka Ying Rising in last year’s Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Raging Blizzard will again target the December feature. His next assignment is the Gr.2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) on November 22, when Ka Ying Rising is also scheduled to return to Hong Kong competition.
“He's got no options, so he'll go there and it's a stepping stone to the second Sunday in December,” Size said.
Avdulla was delighted to see one of his favourites secure a stakes success.
“There are two horses that, every season, they keep turning up for me. They don’t win very often but him and Beauty Joy, they just turn up every season and run against the best and I said to connections that ‘I think it’s his turn today’,” he said.
“I thought it was the easiest race he’s been in, carrying the 135lb, second-up and 1200m — I thought today was D-Day for him and we got the right run through and he was able to get the job done. To actually win a race and a Group, it’s very special.”
Earlier, exciting New Zealand-bred four-year-old Ka Ying Lightning maintained his unbeaten record with his third victory from as many starts.
The David Hall-trained gelding won the Class 3 1000m contest under Andrea Atzeni, recording a slick 56.16 seconds.
Bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, the son of All Too Hard and Floating Heart was initially sold through Pencarrow Stud’s Karaka 2024 Book 1 draft for NZ$120,000. KB Bloodstock subsequently sold him for NZ$200,000 at the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale.
His continued emergence provides a timely pedigree update for his Hello Youmzain half-brother, catalogued as Lot 256 in the 2026 Ready to Run Sale.
Another graduate of the 2024 sale, Speedy Power, opened his Hong Kong winning account for trainer James Cummings and jockey Zac Purton in a Class 4 1200m event.
Woburn Farm sold Speedy Power for NZ$150,000 to Hong Kong buyer Chun Wai Choi at the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale.
The Ready to Run success continued when Megastar Heart set a Class 3 record of 1:07.75 in winning over 1200m for trainer Caspar Fownes and jockey Luke Ferraris.
Megastar Heart topped the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale when KB Bloodstock sold him to Pato Leung for NZ$825,000.
New Zealand-bred Packing Glory then added another record-breaking performance, clocking 1:20.51 to win the Class 3 1400m event for Ricky Yiu and apprentice Nichola Yuen.
Bred by Inglewood Stud, the son of Harry Angel and Monrecour was offered through the North Canterbury nursery’s draft at Karaka 2023 Book 1. He subsequently fetched NZ$800,000 through Kilgravin Lodge at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale, the equal second-highest price of the auction behind Megastar Heart.
Packing Glory also won a barrier trial at Waipa in October 2024 before embarking on his Hong Kong career.
