THE WORLD STAGE – AUSTRALIAN HORSES AT HONG KONG’S INTERNATIONAL MEETING
FALVELON (Trainer Danny Bougoure/Jockey Damien Oliver)
Won the International Sprint in 2000 when the race was a Group Three and returned the following year to make it back-to-back wins with the race elevated to Group Two status. Returned in 2002 when the race was first run as a Group One and finished third.
STATE TAJ (James Riley/Damien Oliver)
Six years before Oliver took out the sprint with Falvelon, he rode State Taj to victory in the Hong Kong Cup. State Taj became the first Australian-trained winner in the Asian racing capital. The 1994 running of the race was the first year it had attained Group Two status.
MONOPOLIZE (Grahame Begg/Wayne Harris and Darren Beadman)
Won the Hong Kong Bowl, now known as the Mile, in 1995 and 1996 for trainer Grahame Begg. Was the only horse to win the race twice until Good Ba Ba’s three-peat from 2007 to 2009.
CATALAN OPENING (Bart Cummings/Darren Beadman)
Won the Bowl (Mile) in 1997 when it was still a Group Two. Returned to Australia and won the Doncaster Handicap the following April.
SUNLINE (Trevor and Stephen McKee/Greg Childs)
The great New Zealand mare was adored by the Australian public and collected the Hong Kong Mile two months after her devastating Cox Plate defence in 2000.
