Long live the Kingdom

The yearling brother of four-time Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Sacred Kingdom has been confirmed for the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.

The Encosta de Lago colt is from Zeditave mare Courtroom Sweetie and he will be one of the headline acts of the catalogue being compiled for Melbourne Permier.

A seven time Group 1 winner across Hong Kong and Singapore, Sacred Kingdom has been a fantastic ambassador for the Australian breeding industry on the world stage over the last five years, accumulating over HK$45 million (AUD 5.70 million) in prizemoney for his owner Sin Kang Yuk.

Trainer Ricky Yiu purchased the champion from the draft of Kornong Stud Farm at the 2005 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.  The Calvert family will offer his brother under the same banner at Melbourne in 2012.

Melbourne bloodstock consultant Mark Dodemaide inspected Sacred Kingdom’s brother in Victoria recently and was impressed with the colt.  “The colt is a typical son of Encosta de Lago with an intelligent head, great shoulder with an overall relaxed attitude,” Dodemaide commented.  “One of the best yearlings I have seen all year.”

Sacred Kingdom is currently being prepared for a tilt at becoming the first horse to win the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint three times, after saluting in the feature event in 2007 and 2009.

“He is coming along nicely and, although eight years of age, there is still plenty of spring in his legs,” Yiu said on Thursday.  “He storming from last to finish second in the Sha Tin Sprint Trophy carrying top weight last month.”

Yiu has been a regular at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for many years and is certainly excited about returning in 2012.  The Melbourne Premier will be held at Oaklands from February 27 to March 1.