Unbeaten Stakes winner Ten Year Ticket sold to Hong Kong

Unbeaten Leopardstown Listed winner Ten Year Ticket has been sold to continue his racing career in Hong Kong for Howard Liang, owner of dual Hong Kong Cup hero California Memory, in a deal brokered by Badgers Bloodstock.

The three-year-old son of Rock Of Gibraltar was sent out by Jim Bolger to score in a competitive Curragh maiden at 33-1 on his sole start last year, and proved that run no fluke when landing the Holden Plant Rental Trial Stakes this month.

Ten Year Ticket has carried the colours of Nicky Teehan, who bred the gelding out of his fairytale mare Bulrushes.

Teehan bought the Byron half-sister to Jersey Stakes winner Tariq for just 800gns at the Tattersalls December Breeding-Stock Sale of 2010, and has also bred Group-winning sprinters Ross Castle and Snazzy Jazzy out of the mare. Bulrushes was sold privately to Qatari operation Al Wasmiyah Farm last year.

“I hope Ten Year Ticket is as lucky for his new owners in Hong Kong as he has been for me,” said Teehan.

“He's a classy horse and I'd been wondering whether I'd done the right thing selling him as he might have gone to Royal Ascot – I was thinking of the Britannia Handicap over the winter but then Irish entries weren't allowed, or the Jersey Stakes because Tariq won the race and Ross Castle ran respectably behind Ribchester.

“But I'm happy he's getting the chance to show his talent in Hong Kong and the Bulrushes story continues for me with her Red Jazz yearling colt, a brother to Snazzy Jazzy, who is going to the sales this year, and I have her half-sister Katora here to breed from.”