Matamata breeder Graham Bax is pinching himself ahead of Sunday's Hong Kong International races at Sha Tin.
The studmaster at Matamata's Blandford Lodge can hardly believe that two runners in the blue-riband Group One Hong Kong Cup were nurtured on his farm.
Many of the world's most powerful breeding establishments aren't represented at all, so for Blandford to have prize graduates Criterion and Lucia Valentina at such a prestigious international meeting is a source of immense pride for Bax.
"It's hard to believe really, but we're there and it's exciting.
"Little old Blandford, we don't breed a hell of a lot of horses here. We've got about 50 broodmares, so to get two horses running at the international meeting is a pretty big achievement for us."
Bax and his wife Helen-Gaye bred Savabeel five-year-old mare Lucia Valentina out of their Montjeu mare Staryn Glenn.
She is raced by Wellington businessman Lib Petagna, who bought the mare through Wairarapa bloodstock agent Bruce Perry for $NZ60,000 ($A55,000) at the 2012 Karaka yearling sales.
Bax is leaning slightly toward the David Hayes-trained Criterion as the better chance of the two Blandford graduates in the Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
"Criterion has been outstanding right through," he said.
"He's travelled all over the world and raced well. He's that type of horse that loves the travel and he just keeps performing well at the top level.
"Lucia Valentina just hadn't been letting go like we know she can, but she's just coming to it now. Her win in the Matriarch Stakes at Flemington was top-class and it showed she was in the right form to head to Hong Kong."
Bax is hoping to capitalise on the hype of the Hong Kong meeting at next month's premier session of the Karaka yearling sales, when he presents two close relatives of Lucia Valentina - a Rock 'n' Pop colt out of Group One performer Mighty Solomon's dam Tarzie, and a Sepoy filly out of Dulcine'e.
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