Classic Hong Kong success continues a purple patch for Toronado

Two feature Hong Kong winners within a week have added another dimension to the continued rise of Victorian-domiciled stallion Toronado.

Seven days after Victor The Winner claimed the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin, Helios Express announced his arrival as a horse on the move in landing the Hong Kong Classic Mile on Sunday.

In between, the Swettenham Stud resident sired a double with Diamond Decorator and El Soleado at Caulfield on Saturday to follow a treble at Flemington in January.

But there is a sense of optimism at Swettenham that Toronado is only warming into the bridle despite Helios Express posting his sire’s 36th stakes winner.

A relatively young stallion at 13 years of age, the quality of Toronado’s broodmare book has improved markedly in the past two seasons in keeping with a service fee that has increased from an introductory $22,000 in 2015 to $88,000 since 2022.

Much too good!

Helios Express and our very own @HugeBowman take the Group 1 Hong Kong Classic Mile for John Size. #HKRacing | @HKJC_Racing pic.twitter.com/klOsj8McJa

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 4, 2024

“The most important thing people need to remember is that these (results) are all off a service fee of $25,000 or less,” Swettenham’s General Manager – Operations and Nominations Sam Matthews told The Straight.

“He’s definitely done it the hard way. At $20,000 you probably don’t get as good a quality mare until he really starts to step up.

“But starting him out at the right price point was really important as well. There is no point starting a horse like him with a high service fee because expectations are too high.

“Certainly with his now yearlings, they were his best crop and they get better and better after that.

“He’s now being supported by some of the best mares in Australia – and some of the best breeders in Australia as well.”

Toronado has sired five Group 1 winners across the globe, including Masked Crusader, Mariamia and Shelby Sixtysix as his flagbearers in Australia.

And for a stallion that has stood in Great Britain and France and now calls Australia a permanent home, Hong Kong looms large as a profitable outlet for the son of High Chaparral.

“He’s now being supported by some of the best mares in Australia – and some of the best breeders in Australia as well.”

Toronado ranks as one of the top active sires in Hong Kong and by all reports bloodstock agents can’t do enough to get their hands on more progeny after the success of Victor The Winner and Helios Express.

Now trained by John Size, Helios Express was purchased by Jamie Edwards’ Emsley Lodge for $10,000 as a yearling via an Inglis online sale.

Edwards sent out the horse – then known as Tex Mex – for his only start in Australia which resulted in a Benalla maiden win.

In seven starts since his export in 2023, Helios Express has marched through the classes with five wins and he is on track to emulate Golden Sixty and Rapper Dragon as Australian-bred stars as the only two horses to capture Hong Kong’s triple crown for four-year-olds.

The Hong Kong Classic Mile is the opening leg followed by the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

“Of this generation of horses, he seems to be the quality horse amongst the ones he’s competing against,” Size said.

It’s a jurisdiction that Swettenham Stud expects Toronado will continue to excel, given the versatility his progeny have shown in Australia.

“Obviously we want them to race in Australia but it’s great to have that secondary market as well,” Matthews said.

“To have two of the top five horses up there it’s hard not to look at him and think he’s not a Hong Kong-style of horse as well.

“It’s a credit to him that he gets consistent city winners, consistent stakes winners – and at variety of distances as well.

“It’s just nice not having a one-trick pony. They are sharp enough to win these sprint races and then go on to a bit further.

“I will be surprised if he doesn’t have Group runners from 1000 metres right up to 2000 and beyond in the years moving forward.”