Hong Kong Jockey Club will introduce King Dance, a $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, in Sunday’s griffin race at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The 3-year-old chestnut colt, a half-brother to recent GIII Pimlico Special Stakes winner Awesome Aaron, will make his career debut in the 1200-meter contest for previously unraced imports.
King Dance (Nyquist–Do the Dance, by Discreet Cat) is owned by Peter Chu and trained by Francis Lui, best known for conditioning three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty. Lui has established a strong record with American-bred horses, including Hong Kong Group 3 winner Chancheng Glory, seven-time winner Chancheng Prince, and Group 3-placed Sunny Star.
Since arriving in Hong Kong last September, King Dance completed initial light work at Sha Tin before relocating to the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua Training Center in late October.
The Kentucky-bred has participated in four barrier trials, with his most recent three occurring over the past two months. His April 28 effort saw him narrowly prevail in a straight 1000-meter trial despite a slow start, finishing strongly under urging.
Bred by the Do the Dance Partnership, King Dance was consigned by Paramount Sales as agent to the 2023 Keeneland September Sale — the same auction that produced three-time G1 Hong Kong Mile winner Good Ba Ba, who sold for $85,000 in 2003 and was also a debut griffin winner.
His stakes-winning dam is out of Loure (A.P. Indy), whose daughter Randonnee was a listed winner with three Group 3 placings in Japan. Third dam Loving Pride captured the 2002 G3 Prix d’Aumale in France for Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Criquette Head.
King Dance drew barrier four in Sunday’s 12-horse field, scheduled as the opening race at Sha Tin (12:30 a.m. ET). South African expatriate jockey Lyle Hewitson has the riding assignment.
Griffin races are specifically designated for two or three-year-old horses who were unraced prior to their import into Hong Kong.
