An outstanding season in Hong Kong for Little Avondale Stud sire Per Incanto hasn’t gone unnoticed by the breeders of some of that jurisdiction’s best gallopers.
Per Incanto finished the recently completed 2020-21 season clearly atop the stallion premiership in Hong Kong both in terms of winners and wins.
His 17 winners were four more than the next best, Exceed And Excel and Snitzel, while the 30 wins his progeny recorded were 10 clear of Snitzel and Deep Field.
Those winners mostly came from crops sired at a modest service fee, and even though he’s now up to $25,000 his book was full very quickly.
“He’s got a half-sister to Glorious Days, a half-sister to Golden Sixty, a close relative to Beauty Generation, and a half-sister to Werther in his book this year,” Sam Williams of Little Avondale Stud said.
“That’s four half-sisters or close relatives to Hong Kong champions.”
Per Incanto has had another strong season in New Zealand, lying third on the stallion premiership by general earnings with a few days to go, a table he narrowly tops by wins ahead of Savabeel.
He’s also gained good traction in Australia through the deeds of Lost And Running, who has won six out of his seven starts and has won a prized slot to contest The Everest in Sydney next season.
“That’s an amazing effort at sprint distances which Australian-breds excel at,” Williams said.
“Hopefully we can go to Sydney for The Everest, though that’s going to depend on whether travel restrictions will have eased by then.”
Per Incanto’s progeny consistently sell well in the sales ring at both Ready To Run and Yearling Sales, however his headline prices have come from outside of those two sale types this season.
The biggest price for a Per Incanto came when Group One winner Bonham was sold for A$1.6 million.
“She was bought by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock and I believe she’s going to stay in training,” Williams said.
“It’s a great return for her owner Gary Harding, who paid $160,000 for her as a yearling at Karaka.”
In addition, a Per Incanto weanling, out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Nasaayim, sold for A$500,000 as part of the Shadwell Stud Australasia dispersal.
“I think that’s the most expensive weanling by a New Zealand-based sire ever sold at auction,” Williams said.
Little Avondale will be keeping Per Incanto’s book to between 135 and 140 mares.
Meanwhile, Williams said he was looking forward to the first southern hemisphere crop of freshman sire Time Test to hit the tracks.
“He’s leading first-season sire in Britain at the moment on strike rate with four winners from 10 runners and a Group Three placing,” he said. “It’s better to have trainers talking about them than not talking about them and we’re getting some good feedback on them here.”
