Gold Front Thoroughbreds expat Awesome Fluke rewarded his new owner with a thrilling victory in a blanket finish to the Hing Yip Hcp (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Awesome Fluke (6g Awesome Rock – Jayquin Star by O’Reilly) saluted at $31 but it was hardly a stroke of luck on a night dominated by a raft of roughies. With apprentice Ellis Wong aboard, he stalked Irish-bred front-runner Liveandletlive (Muhaarar) and kept digging deep in the final fifty metres under top-weight of 59kg.
Sold by tender to Alan Kiang Ping Fai for AUD223,000 in September, Awesome Fluke picked up first prize of AUD226,000 on Wednesday to take his overall off-shore earnings to the equivalent of AUD1.3million.
Awesome Fluke arrived in Hong Kong from Perth where he raced as Awesome John to claim a Group 2 classic in the 2023 WATC Derby (2400m) at Ascot. Originally with Casper Fownes, he took time to acclimatize and was striking for the third time with current trainer Ricky Yiu on Wednesday.
Awesome Fluke pictured working at Happy Valley earlier this year Photo: SCMP
“He’s a typical stayer and is a more relaxed horse now,” Yiu commented. “He was already starting to get better when he came across from Caspar and I was the lucky recipient.”
Bred by Gold Front owners Alan and Sue Olive at Breera, Awesome Fluke is by resident sire Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) from his NZ-bred stablemate Jayquin Star (O’Reilly). They were both trained by Leon and Troy Corstens: Awesome Rock won a Group 1 at Flemington while Jayquin Star was a maiden winner at Kyneton!
Jayquin Star is also the dam of last month’s Warwick Farm winner Hurstville Zagreb (Divine Prophet) and Sue Olive reports she’s just returned another positive to Awesome Rock.
Gold Front has also welcomed a quality crop of Awesome Rock foals this season and a highlight on looks and pedigree is the filly from Society Gal (Faltaat). Another Kiwi-bred mare, she has already delivered black-type winners Red Sun Sensation (Awesome Rock) and Chili Is Hot (Gingerbread Man).
Red Sun Sensation won the LR Northam Cup (1600m) at his penultimate start and he holds Group 1 noms for the Railway Stakes (1600m) and Northerly Stakes (1800m). So does Awesome Rock’s rising star Watch Me Rock who kept firming for the Railway after winning the G3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) at Ascot last Saturday.
Awesome Rock stands for a service fee of $7,975 (inc GST) at Gold Front. For bookings or further details, call Sue Olive (0417 937 606) or Naomi Montuolo (0400 738 964).
