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HKBC Buy Share In Rakti
05/09/05

The Hong Kong Breeders Club has purchased a 10 per cent shareholding in six-time Group 1 winner Rakti, who is set to retire to Huma Park Stud in Ireland for the 2006 breeding season.

Rakti, whose final start is likely to come in the Grade 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on December 11, boasts a racing record that few modern-day performers could rival, earning £1.85 million (around HK$26.5 million) in prize money so far during his glittering career.

At three he won the Group 1 Italian Derby when trained in Italy by Bruno Grizzetti and moved to Michael Jarvis the following year, when he enjoyed Group 1 successes in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, defeating an outstanding field that included Russian Rhythm, Alamshar and Nayef, and the Premio Presidente della Repubblica in Rome. He also finished runner-up to Nayef in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and to Falbrav in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.

Last year he made a brilliant seasonal return when capturing the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and went back to Ascot later in 2004 to enjoy a further Group 1 victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, an effort described by the Racing Post as "a performance of complete authority." He was jointly rated the world's champion miler in the 2004 World Thoroughbred Rankings and was champion miler in the British Horseracing Board's 2004 Flat Awards.

But there was better still to come on his seasonal debut this year in the Group 1 Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May. Rakti strolled to an effortless five-length success and lowered the mile course record at Newbury by no less than 1.04 seconds. BBC television commentator Jim McGrath wrote in The Daily Telegraph that "it could well be the performance of the season". The victory prompted Rakti's vastly-experienced trainer Michael Jarvis to declare: "He's the best I've trained in 37 years." On his most recent start, Rakti finished second to Valixir in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.

The Hong Kong Breeders Club is set to be officially launched tomorrow (September 6) and John McGrath, the HKBC racing manager, said: "Rakti is an exceptional good looker and mover in the traditional mould and has received his highest British Horseracing Board rating of 124 this year. Winning his two latest Group 1s over a mile, having won his other four Group 1s over longer distances is truly phenomenal.

"We have firm plans to support Rakti in Ireland and Wakefield Stakes (Gr. 2) winner Danroad at Hedgeholme Stud in Co Durham (England) next year as well as sending them some of our best mares in the Southern Hemisphere."