IRISHCORRESPONDENT was a very smart three-year-old last year, trained by Michael Halford for Belinda Strudwick who bred the son of Teofilo (Galileo) at her Ballygallon Stud. Unraced at two, he made a favourable impression when winning his first two starts, before finishing a hugely creditable third to Churchill in the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

A disappointing fifth in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot did not put off bloodstock agent John McCormack who acquired the colt, now a gelding, to campaign in Hong Kong. Just 11 months later and the four-year-old has won both the Group 3 The Queen Mother Memorial Cup and the Group 3 The Premier Plate, both at Sha Tin, and his placed efforts include being runner-up in the Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup and third in the Hong Kong Derby. His earnings already in Hong Kong are approaching £1.2 million.

Some horses who travel to race in Hong Kong after enjoying a career here have their names changed and such is the case with Irishcorrespondent. He is now known as Exultant. He is the fourth foal and winner for his dam Contrary (Mark Of Esteem) who won as a two-year-old in France. The best of the others is six-time winner Nonno Giulio (Halling), while her fifth offspring is a three-year-old gelding named Irish Agent (Mastercraftsman).

Contrary is out of the unraced Crystal Gaze (Rainbow Quest) and that mare made quite a splash, and garnered lots of media coverage, when she was sold at the inaugural Goffs London Sale in 2014. She was offered for sale with her colt foal by Frankel (Galileo), and back in foal to that unbeaten superstar. MV Magnier successfully bid £1,150,000 (or about €1.4 million) to buy her.

At the time of her sale she was the dam of Spirit Quartz (Invincible Spirit), a Group 2 winner who was beaten a nose in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes. Another son of the mare, Caspian Prince (Dylan Thomas) had won the Investec Dash at Epsom on Derby day, but had no blacktype at the time. He went on to win 11 more races, 19 in all, and they included the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh. The Frankel foal at foot, now a four-year-old gelding named At Your Service, recently won at the 12th time of asking!

Crystal Gaze is an own-sister to the Cheltenham Festival winning hurdler Desert Quest (Rainbow Quest), and a half-sister to the Grade 2 winning hurdler Stocktons Wing (Jeremy) and the Listed Jebel Ali Mile winner Jonquil (Machiavellian).

Teofilo only raced at two when he was unbeaten in five starts. He was rated the best juvenile in Europe after successes in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and Group 1 National Stakes. He retired to stud as a four-year-old in 2008 and his 14 Group 1 winners, spread pretty evenly between northern and southern hemispheres, includes Irish Derby winner Trading Leather, Irish 1000 Guineas winner Pleascach, Prix Jean Prat winner and sire Havana Gold, Irish St Leger winner Voleuse De Coeurs, Dewhurst Stakes winner Parish Hall and Group 1 winning juvenile Loch Garman.