King's Coronation ridden by Joe Bowditch wins the Jim's Gutter Cleaning 3YO Maiden Plate at Geelong Racecourse. (Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)
A seafood banquet was on the menu for the connections of King’s Coronation after Doug Harrison’s progressive colt broke his maiden and hooked $30,000 in VOBIS Platinum vouchers last Sunday.
King’s Coronation was purchased by Intel Bloodstock for $80,000 at the 2023 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from Flinders Park Stud.
King’s Coronation’s majority owner is hospitality entrepreneur James Ch’ng, the former part-owner of Melbourne’s famous Flower Drum restaurant who relocated to Western Australia in the mid-1980s to start up his new family business, Far West Scallops.
Ch’ng, whose passion for racing extends to breeding, currently owns five horses with Harrison, with King’s Coronation perhaps showing the most promise after his suitably regal performance at Geelong.
Despite being sent off a $21 chance, the son of Rosemont Stud’s Strasbourg (I Am Invincible x Danish Spy) powered past his rivals under Joe Bowditch to score his first win at just his second career start.
Victory in the 3YO Maiden Plate (1733m) reaped a bumper windfall for Ch’ng and Co., who collected $43,025 in prizemoney and VOBIS Gold bonuses in addition to the $30,000 VOBIS Platinum voucher, which can be redeemed on an eligible yearling at the sales or used to offset the service fee of a VOBIS Sires stallion.
Nominations for VOBIS Silver, the entry-level tier of the VOBIS program, are currently open with the opportunity to upgrade horses to VOBIS Gold and VOBIS Platinum available until 30 November, 2024.
So far, a total of $3.75M in VOBIS Platinum vouchers has been won by the connections of eligible horses.