Stronger too strong in Hong Kong

Arrowfield notched up its 4th graduate Group 1 winner this season when Stronger held off all challengers in Sunday’s HK$12 million HKJC Centenary Sprint Cup 1200m G1.

That victory follows the Spring Group 1 successes of Profondo, Yearning & Hitotsu, all from Arrowfield’s Class of 2020.

“Too much stronger!”

At $18, Stronger holds off Hong Kong International Sprint winner Sky Field. 💪 pic.twitter.com/tWXtYAIEi3

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 23, 2022

Stronger’s victory was all the more notable because it’s only six weeks since he was badly hampered and injured in the calamitous running of December’s Hong Kong Sprint G1, won by today’s runner-up Sky Field. 
 
The handsome 5YO entire’s maiden Group 1 victory brought up several other  milestones – he is:

• Not A Single Doubt’s 16th individual Group 1 winner and his 6th stakeswinner this season.
• The 4th Group 1-winning graduate of Arrowfield’s yearling Class of 2018, following Alabama Express & Super Seth (also sold at Inglis Easter) and Castelvecchio (sold at Inglis Classic).
• The 5th Group 1 winner bought for $1 million+ from Arrowfield at Inglis Easter since 2007 –  after Estijaab, Mustaaqeem, Wandjina & Master Of Design.
• The 80th graduate Group 1 winner in Arrowfield’s 36-year history.
• 13-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey Douglas Whyte’s first Group 1 winner as a trainer.
• And the 2nd Group 1 winner (after Instant Celebrity, also by Not A Single Doubt) among 15 stakeswinners out of emerging broodmare sire Starcraft.

Bred by Arrowfield & long-time breeding partner Planette Thoroughbred, Stronger is one of three winners so far left by Star Pupil, a winning Starcraft daughter of the fine racemare and excellent producer Ain’t Seen Nothin’.

Purchased for $1.05 million by James Harron Bloodstock from Arrowfield’s draft Inglis Easter 2018 draft, Stronger won three races at two including the Ken Russell Memorial Classic G3 before being sold privately to George Moore Bloodstock. His three wins and 8 placings in Hong Kong – 4 at Group level – have taken his career earnings beyond $3 million. 

As James Harron told Inglis, “Stronger just lives up to his name – he’s so tough in the finish, he always tries so hard, he’s been so genuine and consistent.

“He was a beautiful yearling, a very compact and willing type of horse, very much stamped by Not A Single Doubt and that toughness and tenacity is also a trait of his sire.”

Star Pupil has a yearling filly by Pariah and a 2021 filly by Snitzel. Arrowfield & Planette are also breeding from two other daughters of Ain’t Seen Nothin’: Farsight (by All American) and Taste of Honey (by Dundeel), while Glentree has bred Dundeel’s talented son Ain’tnodeeldun from a fourth daughter, Star Pupil’s stakes-winning sister Ain’tnofallenstar.