HONG KONG SALE HIGHLIGHTS STALLION’S QUALITY

NEWCASTLE trainer Steve Hodge was in the right place at the right time.

And Craig Ruttley is pretty happy he was.

Ruttley bred an unraced two-year-old Toughenup Sun, and thanks to Hodge’s groundwork, the youngster has been sold to Hong Kong and will do his future racing there.

Importantly, the sale shed further light on the gelding’s sire Sebring Sun, a son of Golden Slipper winner Sebring and well-performed racehorse in his own right.

Ruttley stands Sebring Sun at his Glenthorne Park property (150 acres on the river) south of Taree, and says the 12-year-old is so well priced at his service fee of $6600.

Hodge had previously sold an unraced young horse to Hong Kong, who races as My Wish and was one of the finds of the season with four wins and as many seconds (including being narrowly beaten in the Hong Kong Derby in March when he drew the outside and turned in a remarkable performance) from nine starts.

“Steve was over there watching My Wish race and mentioned to trainer Mark Newnham (Sydney expat) that he had another nice young horse which hadn’t raced,” Ruttley said today.

“Mark was happy to watch him trial at Broadmeadow on June 2.

“Toughenup Sun won the 800m heat easily against his own age (ridden by the now retired Darryl McLellan), and Mark was obviously impressed.

“I was at Dubbo races when I got a call from him asking if the horse was for sale, and I said he was.

“The price was right, and the deal was finalised.

“Toughenup Sun is still in Australia, and will be flown to Hong Kong (racing is in recess there at present) early next month.

“He is the third Sebring Sun sold to Hong Kong in the last 12 months.

“It’s pretty special to be able to breed a horse by your own stallion and sell him to Hong Kong.

“I’m sure Toughenup Sun will perform well there under Mark’s guidance and further highlight that Sebring Sun is a world-class sire.”

Sebring Sun won the Listed Rosebud (1200m) at Royal Randwick in 2015, and was placed in both the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1200m) there and the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens.

He was also placed twice in Listed company in Melbourne at Caulfield and The Valley the following year.

“I knew Sebring Sun was on the market to go to stud when his racing career ended, and fortunately was able to get him,” Ruttley said.

“He is doing a terrific job with an impressive statistic of 70 per cent winners to runners.

“He stood at $6600 last year, and we’ll keep him at that fee in the coming season as an incentive to broodmare owners.

“Sebring Sun has an excellent conformation and great temperament. He truly is wonderful value.”

Story John Curtis, July 23, 2025