Speedy Star stepped up in distance to 1650m at his sixth start in Hong Kong last night, a move that saw the Pencarrow Stud-bred galloper in the winners' circle.

Just a three-year-old, Speedy Star (Falbrav – Macchiato, by Night Shift) won the Class 4 HK$625,000 Tai Yuen Handicap in the hands of Douglas Whyte who gave the gelding an immaculate ride. A tardy start did not stop the son of Falbrav finding the box seat in running, one out and one back with cover, ready to attack around the home bend.

Whyte quickly had the Peter Ho trained galloper out in the clear on straightening, ready to chase down runaway leader Kingston Winner (Krasnapolski), who was still travelling well in front. The ghostly grey kicked hard but Speedy Star soon had his measure under a hard ride by Whyte, winning the race by three-quarters of a length, from a fast finishing Chater De Lago (Encosta De Lago), with Kingston Winner holding third.

Speedy Star was sold by Pencarrow Stud at the 2007 Premier Yearling Sale for $300,000 to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He was then sold through the HKJC's 2007 International Sale where he fetched HK$4,700,000 (NZ$773,281) to the bid of current owner Kwok Chan Yiu (racing colours shown).

The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased a close relation to Speedy Star for $75,000 from the Pencarrow Stud draft at the recently concluded Karaka 2009 Premier Yearling Sale. The Choisir colt at Lot 315 is out of Group 1 placed Vega Sicilia (Rodrigo De Triano), a half sister to Speedy Star’s dam Macchiato. The chestnut colt is expected to follow a similar path to his close relative Speedy Star in joining the Griffin Scheme as a two-year-old.

Macchiato foaled a colt by champion sire Zabeel this season on 6 October, and is currently back in-foal to the Cambridge Stud sire.