Hong Kong HOY Ambitious Dragon Retired
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Ambitious Dragon, one of the greatest runners in the history of Hong Kong racing, has been retired.
Hong Kong's Horse of the Year in 2011 and 2012, the versatile 9-year-old gelding was also named champion miler twice and was twice champion middle-distance horse. Ambitious Dragon, produced by the Oregon mare Golden Gamble, ends his career with a record of 13 wins from 30 starts and prize-money earned in Hong Kong of HK$58,722,850, making him the sixth-highest earner in Hong Kong history.
Trainer Tony Millard guided the brilliant New Zealand-bred son of Pins to a host of big-race successes at Sha Tin, notably group I wins in the 2011 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the 2012 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Ambitious Dragon secured a further five wins at the local group I level, including the 2011 Hong Kong Derby.
"In my opinion, he is as good as you get, and why I say that is because he was so versatile," Millard said. "I have yet to see a horse, in my time here in Hong Kong, win group races (from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles)... That type of versatility you just don't get and that is why a champion has no distance—that horse is a champion.
"We just had to look after him carefully, because he was very fragile, like many good horses are. He was also special, because he was a quiet, laid-back horse. He was basically a gentle giant."
Seven jockeys rode Ambitious Dragon throughout his career, including Zac Purton, who recalled Ambitious Dragon as a gentleman.
"The pony would have to drag him around at the gates, he was so quiet," Purton said. "You would just switch him off, and on his day, when he was right, nothing in the world at the time could go with him. He was a phenomenal racehorse and the best miler I've ridden."
A retirement ceremony will be held for Ambitious Dragon at Sha Tin Racecourse on Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth Cup (HK-I) Day, April 26.