Geisel Park goes Hard in Hong Kong

Tuesday, 4 July 2017 - Geisel Park started July with an international winner to complement its War Chant double in Perth during June.

Hard Ball Get (Aussie Rules), a $62,000 Geisel Park graduate from the Perth Magic Millions, increased his Hong Kong earnings to $3.18 million (AUD 535,315) with another convincing victory in the Sporting Exchange Hcp (1400m) at Sha Tin on Saturday.

The Sunspeed-bred sprinter had scored at Sha Tin in May but had been hampered by a riderless horse at his penultimate start on June 11. “He came through that last run well,” trainer David Hall reported. “And he’s turned up and run his race again today.”

Hall and Hong Kong owner Anthony Cheung targeted the grey after his Group 3 victory in the Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic at Ascot.

Geisel Park owner Eddie Rigg is also following the current campaign of Silverwave in France. He’s a Verglas-sireline Group 1 winner as is Rigg’s new stallion Vert De Grece.

The Pascal Bary-trained horse went down by three-quarters of a length to Zarak in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday. "He put up a magnificent performance,” Bary observed after his charge logged a career-high Racing Post rating of 118. “He’s in great form and is heading to the Arc.”

Silverwave finished down the track in last year’s G1 Arc de Triomphe prompting bookies to price him at liberal each-way odds for this year’s edition on October 1. Zarak has failed in the last two Arcs and Bary is hoping he will dodge Chantilly and be set instead for the Grand Prix de Deauville.

Closer to home, War Jeune and War God both carried Geisel Park’s ‘8ER’ brand to victory at Belmont last month.

War Jeune sold for $20,000 at the 2014 Perth Magic Millions and has earned over $147,300 for a partnership headed by trainer Steve Wolfe. War God made $35,000 at the same sale and has returned $159,250 for a syndicate managed by Oz Racing.

Geisel Park introduces Vert De Grece for a $5,500 (inc gst) fee this year. For further information, contact Eddie Rigg (0418 942 304), John Chalmers (0418 948 604), Conor Dunlop (0447 434 735).