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The darling of the Hong Kong Turf, Golden Sixty, being a graduate of the Riversley Park NZB’s RTR sale draft, owner Sam Beatson has his flag flying high even before the catalogue was released.
Sam Beatson has 27 quality 2YO colts and geldings by proven sires such as Deep Field, Pierro, Per Incanto as well as first season sires Almanzor, Time Test, and Ribchester.
With the sale going virtual, once again Riversley Park has to rely on videos and photos and other digital marketing support, for buyers to be able to see the horses online. However, the “slick times registered at the breeze up gallops last month,” have generated a fair bit of interest from the international.
“I’m really happy with where they are all heading into the sale, said Beatson.
“We have intentionally selected a range of horses that we think will have a great chance of success on the racetrack, both physically and genetically.
“All 27 horses completed their breeze ups at Te Rapa on October 11 and 12, we were very happy with how Our horses breezed.
“It’s currently Spring in New Zealand so the weather did play a huge part over the two days.
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“The horses that breezed on the first day had a Dead6 surface and after a fair bit of rain overnight, day two started with a Heavy10 surface and there was a lot of wind around so that did affect the times on day two.
“The average time for our entire draft was 10.97, 0.37 seconds faster than the total catalogue,” he said.
Riversley Park graduates have had plenty of success in both racing jurisdictions, headlined by the two-time Horse Of The Year, Golden Sixty (Hong Kong). The Francis Lui-trained gelding was purchased at the 2017 sale by his trainer for NZ$300,000.
“Golden Sixty would be our top graduate, he has had a very successful career in Hong Kong so far, in the 2019–2020 season he emerged as one of the best horses in Hong Kong as he was undefeated in seven starts including the Chinese Club Challenge Cup, Hong Kong Classic Mile, Hong Kong Classic Cup and Hong Kong Derby,” said Beatson.
“When I buy horses I try to identify horses that would be suited for Hong Kong, so I was confident that he would perform up there,” Beatson said in a previous interview.
When it comes to Ready To Run sale, experience says it all.
“We have been the leading vendor at the NZ Ready to Run Sale for the last four consecutive years,” said Sam Beatson.
“We sold the Savabeel X Miss Opulence colt, who has been named Zeitaku to Te Akau Racing at the 2020 RTR sale for NZ$700,000 which is the highest-priced horse to be sold at that sale.”
“In his next campaign, he won another seven consecutive races, namely the Celebration Cup, Sha Tin Trophy, Jockey Club Mile, Hong Kong Mile, Stewards' Cup, Hong Kong Gold Cup and Champions Mile to take his unbeaten run to fourteen.
“He was named Horse of the year, champion miler and champion middle-distance horse at this year’s Hong Kong racing awards and is the second horse in history to have won the triple crown in Hong Kong.
“Buying Golden Sixty as a yearling and preparing him for the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale and selling him to Francis Lui is a huge achievement of ours, said Beatson, “Knowing the horse so well and riding him each day during his preparation just gives us a huge thrill watching him succeed in each race, he is a horse with a huge heart and such determination, it is just amazing to watch!”
A fourth-generation horseman, Riversley Park's owner Sam Beatson has a strong history in both thoroughbred racing and show jumping and he has been breaking-in horses since he was a child.
Sam Beatson was always destined for a career that included horses. A descendant of John Beatson, a successful amateur jockey in the 1870/ 80s and founding member of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, thoroughbreds are in Sam's blood.
“We try and do the right thing by the horse and when the trainers get them they have a nice horse to work with and they do their best when they hit the race track,” he said with pride in an earlier interview.
Sam has also, successfully worked with several leading horses in various stages of their career. He particularly remembers his time with Dundeel.
“Dundeel is my favourite stallion,” said Beatson. “He came to me to be broken in, it was a great thrill to be involved in the early stages of his education and to see him succeed on the racetrack and now standing as a stallion at Arrowfield.”