Valuable Hong Kong Handicaps for Coolmore/Ballydoyle graduates

Massive Sovereign, a four-year-old son of No Nay Never, made his first start for trainer Dennis Yip a winning one at Sha Tin on Sunday when laying down one of the season’s most impressive Hong Kong Derby markers with the easiest of victories in the Somerset Handicap over 2000m on turf. Massive Sovereign raced as Broadhurst at two and three when trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners winning a Dundalk maiden and a Leopardstown handicap before being sold privately to his current connections in a deal brokered by Hong Kong-based agent Andy Lo together with Mark McStay.

On the same card over Sha Tin’s dirt track, Mr Ascendancy (The Gurkha), grabbed his second big pot on the bounce when winning the Kent Handicap over 1650m bringing his earnings this season to £460,260. Mr Ascendency was known as Rifleman when winning twice for the Gosden team and his owner/breeders the Coolmore partners before his private sale to Hong Kong via agent Charlie Gordon-Watson.