Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam faces an anxious wait to see if her stable star and dual Grade 1 winner Saffron Beach , will fly overseas on December 3, with the colt’s participation in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) on December 11 in the air.
Saffron Beach, who won the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) at Ascot and the Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville in the summer, is entered in the Tattersalls December Mare Sale on Tuesday and it will be up to the buyer whether to board the plane or not.
The 4-year-old is the only British entrant at this year’s Hong Kong International Races and could be up against a local hero. Golden Sixtywho won the last two editions of the Hong Kong Mile.
“I’ve been non-stop for four hours just showing it to customers. We’ve got visas lined up and flights booked so it’s an exciting time,” said Chapple-Hyam.
“The journey isn’t over until the hammer falls and we know who the buyer is, but the best from around the world have looked at it and they’re all complimentary.”
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Saffron Beach adapted well to travel when fourth in the DP World Sponsored Dubai Turf (G1) in March and had an excuse to run eighth of nine when sent off favorite for the Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) from October.
Chapple-Hyam said of her most recent race: “She got dirty when she got home so we had an answer for her run and the same thing happened before the Breeders’ Cup so we didn’t risk putting her in plane Keeneland.
“The last time she had a bad sense was when she was disappointing in the Tattersalls Falmouth (G1) as a 3-year-old, so whenever she ran a bad race there was always a reason.”
The Sha Tin Show was last won by a British trainer in 1999 when John Hills struck with Docksider, and another consideration for potential buyers will be the booking of Sunday’s Japan Cup-winning rider Ryan Moore.
The trainer said: “You can tell who is interested when you say she has an invitation to run in the Hong Kong Mile and is worth £3,000,000 – it could help her purchase price.
“She is a strong race but travels well and has grown so much since her early days when she was always running at Newmarket. The field will not be as fast as when he won at Royal Ascot and he has the best jockey. into the world on her back”.
Saffron Beach is entered as Lot 1878 and is expected to sell around 6pm local time on Tuesday evening with a fellow Group 1 winner Alcohol-free entered in the same sale.