Hong Kong resident Ben Kwok’s eyes gleam when you start to talk racing and breeding with him.
The former electrical motor manufacturer has immersed himself in the thoroughbred world for the past four to five years after dipping his toe in the water back in 2004.
Kwok admits he took a somewhat unusual approach to breaking into the breeding game.
“I started off with my first horse which I bought from New Zealand about 15 years ago,” he said.
“I was one of the first owners with Paul O’Sullivan when he opened his stable in Hong Kong.
“We had a few horses and won some races but then my business got very busy and I dropped back from my hobby for about 10 years.
“We were one of the biggest electrical motor manufacturers in China but about three years ago we sold everything in China so I had more time and started to pick up my hobby again.”
At the same time that Kwok started to ramp up his racing involvement he also discovered thoroughbred sales website gavelhouse.com and a love affair was born.
“When I got back into it, I found the racing side might be a little too exciting for me so I became a breeder,” he said tongue firmly in cheek.
“I was very intrigued when I found I could buy horses on the internet and I found the gavelhouse site.
“One day Danny Rolston from New Zealand Bloodstock came to see me as they could see me buying all these horses and they didn’t know who I was.
“I had been buying yearlings from the sales for four or five years, around the $100,000-$200,000 mark but with gavelhouse I knew the prices weren’t around that mark and for me the maths worked out.
“I wanted to get into breeding so I think I bought 20-25 mares on gavelhouse in about three months.
“I did find out though that it is very easy to buy a $100,000 yearling but it is much much harder to make (breed) one.”
Kwok decided he needed to educate himself further in the breeding game and began an association with Windsor Park Stud.
“I have very good teachers in Rodney (Schick) and Steve (Till), so I started improving my broodmares and getting rid of the lower quality ones,” he said.
“At first I tried to breed to race but now with the numbers I have I need to sell as well. Right now, I have around 60 mares, 35-40 in New Zealand and the rest in Australia.”
Kwok has several of his yearlings on offer during the National Yearling Sale and was hoping for good results. One of his favourites was lot 430, the Turn Me Loose colt from gavelhouse.com purchased mare Angel de Niro who went to the $40,000 bid of Emma-Lee Browne’s Sparta Bloodstock.
“Angel de Niro, the dam, is one I bought off gavelhouse and Sam Williams (Little Avondale Stud) and I were both interested in her,” Kwok said.
“I didn’t know Sam but I was the underbidder on her and we both missed out. She was passed in and when she went up for sale again I got her and Sam was like who the hell is this Ben Kwok guy.
“I read about that in a Breednet article on Sam and I had a really good laugh.”
While Kwok’s love for breeding thoroughbreds is well known he is equally passionate about the welfare side of the industry and supporting the local racing industry.
“I am currently racing seven or eight by myself plus some I’m involved with at Te Akau Racing,” he said.
“I think New Zealand racing is at a turning point. As a breeder and as an industry participant I need to do my part to support the industry.
“I’m setting up a new company called Lion Rock Bloodstock with two major themes, one is to support the welfare of the horses and the other is to support the local people of the industry.
“I want to work with people like Gina Schick who are rehoming thoroughbreds. After we are properly set up, I will be able to do this as I think it is very very important.”
