David Hayes will attempt to emulate the career-ending Cox Plate glories of retired Australian warhorse Fields Of Omagh on Sunday, when he sends out Beauty Generation in an attempt to annex a third HK$25 million (US$3.23 million) Grade 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.
Hayes famously sent Fields Of Omagh into retirement after the 9-year-old snared Australia's premier G1 weight-for-age contest – the Cox Plate – at Moonee Valley in 2006 to cap his career in a blaze of glory.
The comparisons to Beauty Generation, twice Hong Kong Horse of the Year, are not lost on Hayes, who inherited the decorated 8-year-old after John Moore's retirement last year.
In two runs for Hayes, the 2017 and 2018 Hong Kong Mile winner has had his colors lowered by Hong Kong's boom galloper Golden Sixty, dead-heated for second in the G3 Celebration Cup (1400m, seven furlongs) before running sixth in the G2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m, one mile).
Fields Of Omagh had won just one of 12 starts before tackling – and conquering – the Cox Plate for a second victory. Hayes took over the gelding from Tony McEvoy after returning to Australia from Hong Kong in 2005.
Hayes retains faith Beauty Generation can revive the uplifting memories of Fields Of Omagh's farewell performance.
“It would be wonderful to win with him, especially if you could resurrect an old champion like Beauty Generation,” Hayes said after the gelding cantered on the inner track at Sha Tin on Thursday.
“He reminds me – and he's more high-profile – of an old Fields Of Omagh going into his last Cox Plate, doing everything right but overlooked and under-rated by the market.
“This horse is going to start well overs which is quite ironic because up until the last 12 months, he's been favorite in everything he's raced in.
“The guy who rides him, Romain (Clavreul), who has ridden him all his life, says he feels as good as ever, which is really encouraging.
“We've taken a fresh approach. We elected not to give him a lead-up race or a trial. He's just had three nice gallops on the course proper over the last month and I'm really happy with his level of fitness and he looks fantastic.”
Beauty Generation finished third in last year's Hong Kong Mile behind Japan's Admire Mars, who returns to defend his crown.
Hayes said a decision on Beauty Generation's future would not necessarily hinge on Sunday's performance.
“If he runs competitive, he'll certainly keep racing on,” he said.
“If he disappointed, it (retirement) would be considered, but I would think they would love to run him in the 1400m G1 (the Queens Silver Jubilee Cup) that he won last year – his last win.
“But if he's racing well, I can't see any reason why he wouldn't keep going.”
Beauty Generation will start from barrier three under Zac Purton as he attempts to match Good Ba Ba's feat (2007-09) of winning the Mile three times.
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