Endued brought his Hong Kong future a big step closer with a four-length victory in the Rohan Mudhoo Trust 2YO (1200m) at Woodville on Friday.

The son of Deep Field was a $400,000 purchase at Karaka last year by Hong Kong-based Kiwi trainer Jamie Richards in partnership with Andrew Williams Bloodstock.

Richards entrusted the early stages of the gelding’s career to his Matamata-based father Paul, who held up his end of the bargain with Friday’s important win.

“The horse is owned in Hong Kong (by Ben Wong) and was bought on a PP (Private Purchase) permit,” Paul Richards said. “He had to win a race and get a rating of 63 to be eligible to go up to Hong Kong, and he’s ticked those boxes today. I’d say he’ll more than likely spell now before heading up that way in the spring.”

Endued began his career with a close and strong-finishing third over 1200m at Matamata on February 29. He finished fifth over the same course and distance two weeks later, beaten by four lengths by subsequent Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) runner-up Red Sea.

After a brief freshen-up, Endued showed promising signs with an easy trial win at Cambridge on April 23 ahead of his raceday return at Woodville on Friday.

Ridden by Michael McNab, Endued settled into a comfortable rhythm in fourth as Kapalua and First Gear scampered down Woodville’s back straight and opened up a three-length lead over the rest of the field.

Endued collared First Gear soon after straightening for home, and the result was in no doubt from there as he drew clear through the last 200m.

“That was a pretty impressive performance today and he’s a fair animal,” Richards said. “He’s starting to put things together nicely now. He’d always shown a bit and I thought his first run was very good.

“His second start was okay, but he just didn’t quite finish that race off as well as we expected him to, so we gave him a breather and put him in the paddock for a couple of weeks. He’s been really good since he came back in. He had that trial on the synthetic at Cambridge, and then today’s race at Woodville looked like a nice one to target with him. It’s worked out very well.”

Deep Field has been Hong Kong’s champion sire in both of the last two seasons, and he holds a commanding premiership lead again in 2023-24. In contrast, the Northern Meteor stallion has been represented by a career total of only 24 runners in New Zealand. No fewer than 18 of those have been winners, headed by this season’s Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) winner Master Fay and Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m) winner Mr Mojo Risin’.

Endued’s dam is the All Too Hard mare Waruna, who won four races and is a half-sister to the Gr.2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) winner Positive Peace.