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Widden Stud sale graduates Merry Merry (bred by Stratheden Stud and pictured above), a three-quarter brother to G1 BTC
Doomben 10,000 winner Suntain purchased by Kieran Moore for $140,000 as
top-priced colt at the 1999 Breeze Up Sale, and Stoic, a $60,000 Inglis
Easter purchase by Apollo Ng in 1998, concluded the Hong Kong season on a
high note.
With four wins apiece for the season, four-year-old Stoic has earnings of
$HK2,482,340 and three-year-old Snippets speedster Merry Merry has
$HK2,423,305.
Stoic is the first horse solely owned by enthusiastic owner Stephen Yip, a
chartered valuation surveyor, and he is managing part-owner of Merry Merry.
�Stoic will focus on a future as a miler whereas we will keep Merry Merry to
sprint distances,� he says. �They both have very good racing heart � Stoic
is great at fighting back and he has a great finishing dash, and Merry Merry
has early speed which he can maintain over 1000m to 1200m.�
�The most exciting day was the first win of Stoic on the first day of the
season � he had placed several times, and we when found out Merry Merry was
in the same race we were quite excited. They are in different stables, as
Merry Merry is prepared by Brian Kan-Ping Chee and Stoic is trained by
Laurie Fownes,� he says.
�Their numbers were 7-11 which is the name of a convenience store chain in
Hong Kong. So when friends asked us about the race, we all said �just go for
7-11!��
�Stoic beat Merry Merry, whose trainer was upset as he thought Merry Merry
would be very hard to beat, until he realised Stoic was my horse! We got the
7-11 quinella.�
Merry Merry is raced by the 13-member Racing Fans Syndicate which includes
fellow syndicate manager Tang Pui Pat, an accomplished showjumper, and
former member of Hong Kong�s International Equestrian Team. He also races
Star Of Tai Po, named after his home village, and Star Of Tai Po won twice
during the season.
�Only two horses in Hong Kong got five wins in the past season and 12 got
four wins, so it is really lucky for us to be among the top of the list,�
added Yip.
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