Time Warp's thrilling victory over Werther in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin yesterday was a notable triumph for breeding in Britain
The winner of December’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, the chestnut is a fine tribute to his stallion Archipenko, who died from a short illness soon after that win. Time Warp was bred by Kirsten Rausing, whose Lanwades Stud in Newmarket stood Archipenko as a stallion.
Time Warp was initially trained by Sir Mark Prescott at Newmarket and won listed races in France at two and three before a new career with Hong Kong trainer Tony Cruz began just over a year ago. He was already his late sire’s third individual G1 winner following Madame Chiang in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and Forty One in Argentina’s Gran Premio General San Martin.
Time Warp was a private purchase by Martin Siu through Great British Racing International's Asia representative, SackvilleDonald. His dam is Here To Eternity, who won a maiden in the care of Peter Chapple-Hyam.
Breeder Kirsten Rausing was effusive in her praise of her latest star. “Time Warp was always an outstandingly good-looking individual. He was a more-than-useful 2-year-old, winning four times including a listed race in France. He then opened his 3-year-old career with another listed race win in Paris for Sir Mark before being sold to Hong Kong, where the rest is history.
“Time Warp is of course line bred to the great broodmare Special, who appears three times in his pedigree. This pattern has previously been successful with another Lanwades-bred offspring of Archipenko’s, Ascot Group 1 winner Madam Chiang."
The 5-year-old’s dam and granddam were also bred by Lanwades and are still there. Rausing said: "His dam has a now 4-year-old own brother, Glorious Forever, twice a winner for Ed Walker and highly rated but now in Hong Kong, where he has recently arrived.
"The mare’s 3-year-old, Jack Crow, was second in his both starts at two for Eve Johnson Houghton, and her now 2-year-old, Heatwave, a filly by Leroidesanimaux, has been retained and is with Sir Mark Prescott. She has no yearling but is due to foal to Oasis Dream."
Rausing added that Time Warp’s second dam, stakes winner Heat Of The Night, has a yearling threequarter brother to him. "He is a magnificent testament to his late, much lamented sire Archipenko, whose untimely loss in December last is still very keenly felt. From limited opportunities he has so far sired three individual Group 1 winners.”