Former top New Zealand juvenile and Hong Kong sprinter-miler Egyptian Ra has passed away.
Trained by Kenny Rae, Egyptian Ra placed in all five of his starts as a two-year-old in New Zealand, including three Group races, before he was sold to Hong Kong interests.
“He was placed in all five starts as a two-year-old, including the Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m), Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr.1, 1400m), and Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m),” part-owner Marie Scott said.
“We sold him for quite a lot of money to Hong Kong. He won five stakes races including the Jubilee Cup (Listed, 1400m), beating Good Ba Ba and Sacred Kingdom.”
Egyptian Ra was Group One placed in the Champions Mile (1600m) and Hong Kong Mile (1600m), and amassed HK$20.6 million in prize-money during his time in the Asian racing jurisdiction.
Scott said she looks back on his career with fondness.
“We bought him at the sales in partnership with Kenny and a few others.
“He came from a good family. His siblings include Egyptian Raine who won the Railway (G.1, 1200m), Egyptian Symbol, who was a dual Group Three winner, and Strathmore, who also performed well in Hong Kong, placing in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr.1, 1200m).
“He was a very good horse and he always liked to lead. He was a very strong and big horse, he was about 16.3 hands tall.”
Upon his retirement from the track, Egyptian Ra came back to New Zealand where he enjoyed an active lifestyle at Scott’s Henderson Valley property.
“When he finished racing in Hong Kong my mother paid for him to fly back to New Zealand,” Scott said.
“We have got 17 acres that he retired on. He was spoilt rotten. My mother loved him dearly, hence why she brought him back. He had the best of lives back home.
“He has been with us for 10 years. He taught quite a few of my young friends to ride. We had a lot of fun on him at home, riding around and jumping him.
“Only the night before he had given a young girl a lesson. We assume that he died of natural causes, he passed away in the paddock the next morning.”
