香港育馬會購種馬Towkay股份
香港育馬會成功購入著名種馬Towkay部分股份，Towkay為澳洲馬，現於新西蘭配種，在港子嗣包括「好利威」及「喜利多」等。
The powerful Hong Kong Breeders' Club has bought a large share-holding in leading Central Districts thoroughbred sire Towkay.
The deal, for a substantial undisclosed sum, was finalised on Friday when Hong Kong Breeders Club co-founder Peter Yip visited Little Avondale Stud at Masterton where Towkay is based.
Yip said Towkay had become very well known as a sire in Hong Kong through the deeds of his son, Armada, who won the Group 1 HK$8 million Hong Kong Stewards Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin racecourse in January and was Hong Kong's most improved horse of 2006.
"Armada is a special horse in Hong Kong and has a big following. Towkay has done very well with his off-spring in Hong Kong and I'm sure that a number of Hong Kong owners will send their broodmares to him after they hear that our breeders club is now among his share-holders, " Yip said.
The Hong Kong Breeders Club was launched two years ago with the goal of encouraging breeders in Hong Kong to enjoy breeding horses as a hobby as well as a profitable investment. The club's other co-founders include Richard Hui and Paul Kan and two other family groups.
The club now has interests in more than 10 stallions worldwides and owns more than 100 broodmares. Yip said the club will be supporting Towkay with a number of mares at stud this year.
Towkay, who has sired more than 70 individual winners including seven stakes-winners, is the fourth leading sire in Hong Kong this year trailing no less than Danehill, Fusaichi Pegasus and Zabeel. Last year the son of Last Tycoon was the leading sire (by average earnings) in Hong Kong with five or more runners.
Towkay, has also sired another Group 1 winner, Ambitious Owner,who performed well in Hong Kong as Happee Owner.
Other stakes winners sired by Towkay to date are Kay's Awake, Starkay, Rapid Kay, Lotzatow and Opiki.
Towkay achieved outstanding results at the 2007 yearling sales series at Karaka in New Zealand this year.
Highlights of Towkay's results achieved at the NZB yearling sales this year were:
* Karaka Premier Sale Average of $163,000 which was 32 times his service fee(unmatched at Premier level)
* Karaka Premier Top Price $270,000
* Karaka Select Sale Average of $82,000 which was 16 times his service fee.
* Leading Sire by average at Karaka Select sale
Sam Williams of Little Avondale Stud said there had been a lot of interest from overseas parties in buying Towkay over the past 12 months. "Earlier we had offers from two groups in South Africa and a stud in Australia but had he been purchased by them he would have been lost to the New Zealand industry which would have been a real pity," he said.
"This way he will continue to be available to New Zealand breeders and that's very important to the partnership which owns him," Williams said. His fee this year has been set at $10,000 plus gst.
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