champion stayer | Horse Racing Free Tips

Golden Sixty Named Hong Kong HOTY–Again

During a season that saw him become the richest-ever horse and most prolific winner of Group 1 races in Hong Kong history, Stanley Chan Ka Leung's Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was named Horse of the Year in the jurisdiction for an unprecedented third straight season during a black-tie affair held Friday evening at the Grand Ballroom of the Rosewood Hotel.

The son of Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor) won four of his five trips to the post during a well-managed 7-year-old campaign, his only loss coming at the hooves of the very talented California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) when looking for a third consecutive victory in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December. In one of the most anticipated races in recent memory, Golden Sixty squared off with his Mile conqueror and G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup romper Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G1 Stewards' Cup in January, a race in which Golden Sixty had a 16-race winning streak snapped in 2022. The three top-rated horses in Hong Kong had the race to themselves when push came to shove, and $2.50 (3-2) second favourite Golden Sixty proved equal to the task with a one-length defeat of $2 (evens) pick Romantic Warrior.

It was $1.50 (1-2) Romantic Warrior and $2.30 Golden Sixty in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over a 2000-metre trip that was sure to favour Romantic Warrior. But Golden Sixty had the final say yet again, scoring by a head (video), before adding his ninth Hong Kong Group 1 tally with a third straight win in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April (video), also securing champion miler honours. Golden Sixty, who will train on as an 8-year-old, has a record of 25-2-1 from 29 starts and earnings of nearly US$18.8 million to date.

Other luminaries to have been named Horse of the Year on multiple occasions include Silver Lining (Aus), Quicken Away (Ire), River Verdon (Ire), Fairy King Prawn (Aus), Silent Witness (Aus), Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and Beauty Generation (NZ). The first two named were also three-time Horses of the Year, but non-consecutively.

Romantic Warrior did not go home empty-handed, as his efforts were rewarded with champion middle-distance horse honours for the second straight season. He managed to bounce back from his Gold Cup effort–for which he was reportedly not 100%–to defend his title handsomely in the G1 FWD QE II Cup to lock up his championship.

But for an unlucky defeat when favoured in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) would have given Golden Sixty a tussle for Horse of the Year. As it was, the 4-year-old had a much more rigorous campaign that Golden Sixty, winning seven of his nine starts, including a maiden Group 1 in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and additional elite-level successes in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m). He carried 135 pounds to victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase H. June 4, spotting his rivals 14 to 20 pounds. With no standout horse among those that competed in the Classic series, Lucky Sweynesse was also recognized as champion 4-year-old.

Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the only Hong Kong horse to win a race on foreign soil this season, having impressed in the HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar, but it was his victory over Romantic Warrior in his title defence in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) that secured the 6-year-old the award as champion stayer for the second year in a row.

Howdeepisyourlove (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) finished his first Hong Kong preparation with four wins from 12 starts and was named champion griffin (2- and 3-year-old horses unraced upon arrival into Hong Kong). His rating lifted from the standard debut mark of 52 to 96 by season's end. Beauty Eternal (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) saw his rating rise from 52 to 117 to be named the most improved horse. Third as the favourite in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, he closed the season with a pair of victories at Group 3 level.

Trainer John Size won a 12th Hong Kong premiership, while Zac Purton will be crowned champion jockey for the sixth time after breaking Joao Moreira's record 170 victories for a season. He currently sits on 176 heading into Sunday's final meeting of the season, 82 clear of Vincent Ho, who received the Tony Cruz Award as leading homegrown jockey. Purton also became the second rider in history to register better than 1600 winners in Hong Kong, joining Russian Emperor's trainer Douglas Whyte.

The post Golden Sixty Named Hong Kong HOTY–Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Champion Stayer and Top NH Sire Kayf Tara Dies

Kayf Tara (GB), who was three times crowned champion stayer on the Flat before forging a successful career as a National Hunt stallion, has died at Overbury Stud at the age of 28.

An announcement made by the Gloucestershire-based stud on Thursday stated that Kayf Tara “died peacefully in his paddock this morning following the routine he'd had since arriving at Overbury Stud”. He had been retired from covering duties in 2020 as his fertility waned.

Kayf Tara's first ever winner was noteworthy for being in the Listed Ballymacoll Stud S., a recognised Oaks trial, when Ruby Wine (GB) broke her maiden in that race for James Eustace and owner/breeder Rachel Wilson. However, it was in the world of jump racing that the son of Sadler's Wells really carved his reputation as a stallion, heading the sires' table in Britain a record 11 times.

His list of Grade 1 winners over fences and hurdles includes the King George hero and Horse of the Year Thistlecrack (GB), Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara (GB), Edwulf (GB), Planet Of Sound (GB), Identity Thief (Ire), Tea For Two (GB), and the Overbury-bred Thyme Hill (GB). His current star performer and winner of last Saturday's G1 Tingle Creek Chase is Edwardstone (GB), bred by Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle, and trained by Alan King to win nine of his 21 starts to date, including the G1 Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

A son of Colorspin (GB) (High Top {GB}) whose dam Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}) was one of the outstanding foundation mares of the Weinfeld family's Meon Valley Stud, Kayf Tara was offered for sale by his breeder at the Tattersalls Houghton Sale of 1995, and was bought for 210,000gns by Darley Stud Management. He was sent into training initially with Sir Michael Stoute, who also trained his full-brother Opera House (GB) to win the G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Eclipse, and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. in the maroon-and-white colours of Sheikh Mohammed.

Having broken his maiden for Stoute as a 3-year-old at Ascot, Kayf Tara was later transferred to Godolphin and Saeed Bin Suroor. He became the pre-eminent stayer of his generation, twice winning the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the G1 Irish St Leger, as well as posting victories in the G2 Goodwood Cup, G2 Yorkshire Cup, G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and G2 Prix Kergorlay.

Paying tribute to the first stallion he stood on taking up the reins at Overbury Stud in 2000, Simon Sweeting said, “This is a very sad day for all of us at Overbury. Kayf Tara really put us on the map and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been with him through every step of what transpired to be an extraordinary career as a jump stallion, in which he won more championships than any other British National Hunt sire in history.

“I remain immensely grateful to Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for entrusting him to us. He's been such a great servant to the National Hunt game and to Overbury Stud, where he was looked after for most of his time by Dan Matty. We will miss him terribly.”

Darley's director of stallions Sam Bullard added, “We are all very grateful to Simon Sweeting and his team at Overbury for taking such great care of Kayf Tara for all these years, and we are very proud of the enormous contribution he has made to National Hunt racing and breeding in Britain and beyond during that time.”

The post Champion Stayer and Top NH Sire Kayf Tara Dies appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Exultant Named Hong Kong Horse of the Year

Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was named 2019/2020 Horse of the Year in Hong Kong Thursday in a virtual ceremony, as stricter social distancing protocols within the context of a third wave of coronavirus in the region put pay to the scheduled live proceedings.

Bred by Ballygallon Stud, Exultant won four of his seven trips to the post during the season, calling on all his class and stamina for victories in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) and a successful defence of his title in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) (see below). The Tony Cruz-trainee carried 133 pounds in annexing the G3 Centenary Vase H. (1800m), was victorious in the G2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m) and was a gallant third when trying for the repeat in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) in December. In addition to Horse of the Year, the son of Contrary (Ire) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}) was also recognized as champion middle distance horse and champion stayer for the second year in a row. Exultant is the first Horse of the Year trained by someone other than John Moore since the 2011-2012 season.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) became just the second to sweep the 4YO Classics in Hong Kong, winning the Classic Mile and Classic Cup before a stirring success in the BMW Hong Kong Derby. While it wasn’t quite enough to topple the exploits of Exultant, he was the easy winner of the newly instituted 4-Year-Old Champion award. Golden Sixty was a perfect seven-from-seven during the campaign, earning a first group-stakes badge in the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup H. (1400m) on New Year’s Day. Trained by Francis Lui and ridden by Tony Cruz Award recipient Vincent Ho, Golden Sixty climbed 37 points in the ratings, from a beginning mark of 75 to his current 112. He was also named most popular horse.

Two-time Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) may have lost a step at age seven, but he was accomplished enough to be named champion miler for a remarkable third year on the bounce. Third in search of three straight in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December, he was second in the G1 Stewards’ Cup, but displayed his zest for racing

by completing the hat trick in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) before adding the G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m). A near-miss second in the G1 Champions Mile in April, Beauty Generation trains on at eight with David Hayes.

The consistent Beat the Clock (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) annexed the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint and G1 Centenary Sprint Cup en route to being named champion sprinter for the second year in a row. He has been out of the top three just once in his 25 career appearances.

Among the other non-equine categories, Ricky Yiu won his first trainers’ premiership on 67 victories, while Zac Purton outdistanced Joao Moreira to retain his jockeys’ title. John Moore, who saddled his final horses as a licenced trainer in Hong Kong Wednesday, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

WATCH: Exultant puts them back-to-back in the Champions and Chater Cup

The post Exultant Named Hong Kong Horse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post