He was Group 1 placed as a 2-year-old behind undoubtedly Queensland and Australia’s most precocious talent Rothfire in the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes over 1400m at Eagle Farm last June as part of a rejigged Winter Racing Carnival, before being sold to Hong Kong interests for a sum reportedly in the 7 figure range. THE DRINKS CART as he was formerly known in Australian and is know known as KAI XIN DRAGON made his long anticipated Hong Kong racing debut last night with a terrific effort first up in Asia.
It’s not hard to see why the Asian interests in the horse was so high to begin with before he was sold, either.
On debut in November 2019 over 900m at Aquis Park, Gold Coast in an open class 2-year-old race he started a $1.70 and won accordingly without breaking a sweat. He easily accounted for runner-up Kavak who after a long lay off has recently returned to racing and shown an abundance of talent winning a couple of nice races as a 3yo.
Trainer Toby and Trent Edmonds knew exactly how good the gelding was as the subsequently stepped him up from midweek grade to black-type stakes grade in the $125,000 Basil Nolan Jr Qtis 2yo Plate, December 2019. He ran a terrific 4th and when in hindsight you browse back and look at the form from the race it reads pretty special;
1st – GOTTA KISS: Subsequently 2nd G1 JJ Atkins as a 2yo. Will start close to favourite in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas in a fortnight’s time where she’ll be a big winning chance.
2nd – LADY BANF: Multiple Saturday Open class 2yo winner in Sydney on Saturday’s.
3rd – ANDERS: Went on to win as a 2-year-old before spelling. Resumed as a 3yo in Sydney open 3yo class with a devastating win followed by an equally devastating winning performance in the time-honoured G3 San Domenico Stakes over 1100m at Rosehill
He was then Group placed in Melbourne before starting hard in the market but disappointing in G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Was the a very close up 3rd behind stablemate Wisdom of Water in the $125,000 Goldnugget at Aquis Park before being spelled.
Resumed in May 2020 after a 241-day spell with two arrogant open 2yo class Saturday wins on the Gold coast.
He then went into the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes (06 June 2020) as a 20/1 chance.
The 2yo G1 at Eagle Farm was a one-horse affair which for those behind the brilliant Rothfire was little disgrace after what he subsequent achieved before suffering a serious injury setback.
It was then that Asian interest swooped and purchased THE DRINKS CART and renamed him KAI XIN DRAGON. He was initially slated to be trained by Tony Cruz in Hong Kong but once David Hayes decided to return to train in the tropics, the Australian Hall of Fame training star was nominated as the horse’s trainer.
Tonight in his Hong Kong debut in a Class 3 at Happy Valley, he was terrific running a solid 4th over 1000m. Despite his early 2yo form in Australia the showed he had speed, his Atkins run showed that he’s an out and out miler and that will be his ideal trip as his career wears on.
So this was nothing more than a pipe-opener for the 3yo in Hong Kong. That fact he is only 3 and was conceding much older and more seasoned horses big chunks of weight shows his true class.
It’ll definitely pay to follow KAI XIN DRAGON in Hong Kong especially when as I mentioned, Hayes gets him up to the mile. He has a very bright future and whilst it’s impossible to ever say an Australian import to Hong Kong would ever be as good as Beauty Generation, it’s not that so far fetched to suggest that’s the type of quality of horse we are dealing with here.
Aussies Abroad: ex-pat horses to follow in Hong Kong
The Drinks Cart
RENAMED: KAI XIN DRAGON
AGE/SEX: 3YO Brown Gelding
PEDIGREE: Unencumbered x Snipzu
RECORD: 6:3-0-2
Another addition to Hayes’ new HK stable, the former Queenslander brings the Rothfire/Wisdom Of Water form to Hong Kong. He won three of his six starts in his 2YO campaign for trainers Toby and Trent Edmonds and placed in the G1 JJ Atkins behind Rothfire before a deal was done to sell him abroad. He only arrived in HK on September 7, so you’d expect he’d take some time to acclimatise before stepping out.
