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Golden Sixty Back To Work at Sha Tin

Exiting an imperious victory in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Dec. 13, Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) goes in search of his 12th consecutive victory and 15th from 16 starts overall when he takes on a field of mostly familiar faces in Sunday's G1 Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Winner of seven straight during the 2019/2020 season, including a sweep of the 4-year-old Classics, the Queensland-bred gelding has yet to be tested in four runs this term and his Hong Kong Mile success came at the expense of the re-opposing Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and the race's defending champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). It's all systems go for Golden Sixty, who figures to jump as a money-back proposition.

“He was a bit keen when he started back (after being freshened up), but after that he had a grass gallop (Jan. 19)–he was fine and [Friday morning] he was good again,” trainer Francis Lui, who celebrated his 62nd birthday earlier in the week, told the HKJC notes team. “I asked [jockey] Vincent [Ho] to give him an easy gallop and he just wanted to go.”

On the comeback trail is Rise High (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), a close third to Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the 2019 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m), but unraced since. Sunday's trip is well short of his best, but Caspar Fownes, who will also saddle Southern Legend, is looking for a tightener into the Feb. 21 G1 City Hong Kong Gold Cup, where he is likely to see Golden Sixty again, only on a more level playing field.

“Obviously, you're up against a champion, a superstar in Golden Sixty, but as long as we can just run a nice race first-up, then we'll head to the Hong Kong Gold Cup with him,” Fownes said.

Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) is likely to go favoured in Sunday's other top-level event, the Centenary Sprint Cup over 1200 metres. The likeable gray won the G2 Jockey Club Sprint in November and was the $21 (11-10) chalk on international day, but could do no better than seventh behind Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), as the ageless Jolly Banner (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) charged home for second at better than 80-1. Wishful Thinker (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) also ran with credit in the Sprint, rallying from last to finish fourth, beaten 0.75l at boxcar odds.

WATCH: Golden Sixty wins his 11th straight race in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile

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Golden Sixty Shooting For 12th Consecutive Hong Kong Win As He Prepares For G1 Stewards’ Cup

After his devastating win in last month's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, hometown hero Golden Sixty pleased his connections at Sha Tin this morning with a trial in typical fashion ahead of the G1 Stewards' Cup (1,600 meters) on Jan. 24.

“I'm happy with his trial, in the trial you can relax him – he doesn't show much, he never does,” trainer Francis Lui said.

The son of Medaglia d'Oro went through his first barrier trial of the new year under his own steam, traveling wide throughout before crossing the line fourth, while the Caspar Fownes-trained Southern Legend went home best in a time of 1:11.73 with stablemate Rise High just behind him.

Lui outlined the brilliant 5-year-old's program for the near future, including a potential step back up to 2,000 meters for the first time since his thrilling BMW Hong Kong Derby success last year in next month's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, where he may square off with reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Exultant.

“Stewards' Cup first and then maybe next month's Gold Cup,” Lui said, all but ruling out an overseas tilt this year: “Not this season (to going overseas) but that's another plan.”

The bay will seek back-to-back G1 victories in Sunday week's HK$12 million feature in what will be his fifth run this term as he shoots for his 12th consecutive win after surpassing the great Beauty Generation's 10 Hong Kong wins in a row last month.

“Sometimes you have to worry that he doesn't race too much, there aren't many races for him so he's fresh – Vincent (Ho) said he was a bit fresh this morning.” Lui said.

Lui was pleased with the Australian-bred's wellbeing and he remains buoyant of a positive result in 12 days' time.

“The way he has won his last few races – he can win,” Lui said.

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Hometown Hero Golden Sixty Runs Win Streak To 11 With Hong Kong Mile Triumph

They came, they saw, they tried to blunt his dash, but they failed to conquer Golden Sixty: Hong Kong's burgeoning hometown hero dismantled his international rivals in the HK$25 million G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin with an exquisite performance.

“He's amazing, isn't he?” jockey Vincent Ho said, moments after the brilliant 5-year-old unleashed an unanswerable burst of speed that carried him to a dazzling two-length victory.

For Ho and trainer Francis Lui, Golden Sixty's success is a first at the Hong Kong International Races.

Lui was delighted and relieved to see his standout galloper seal a 14th win from 15 starts, and surpass the great Beauty Generation's 10 wins in a row with his 11th-straight triumph – in Hong Kong, only the near-immortal Silent Witness has won more races on the bounce.

“I can have a good sleep tonight!” Lui declared. “I'm very happy – at the moment, I don't know what to say, (my heart) is still pumping. As a jockey, as a trainer, as an owner, you're dreaming of this.

“I was worried about the horses from Japan and Ireland but now, after this race, he has shown me that he's a champion.”

Lui's pre-race concerns were natural with Japan's 2019 victor Admire Mars in the line-up along with last-start G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia, from Ireland's powerful Aidan O'Brien stable. But his anxiety proved needless, the invaders were no match for last season's BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner, who races in the silks of Stanley Chan Ka-leung.

With speed enough to have posted nine wins at 1200m and 1400m, and the fortitude to last the local Derby's 10 furlongs, the Medaglia d'Oro gelding seems to have it all.

When the gates crashed back, Ho exhibited apposite confidence on the 1.3 favorite, allowing his mount to settle third-last – seven lengths off the lead – while Ryan Moore pressed Admire Mars forward to stalk outside the front-running Ka Ying Star.

“They went a little bit hard early and I was quite far back, so I just let him slide through from the 600 (meters) and it only took him a few strides to almost get to them. I tried to save him until I let him down and when I asked for him, he did it really well, he gave me a really big effort,” Ho said with typically deadpan understatement.

Golden Sixty cruised around the field turning for home; the Australian-bred bounded rapidly through his gears and when he hit top speed, his stride was a blur of quickening power.

“When I hit the top of the straight, I knew,” Ho said. “I was just cruising and I didn't think anyone could beat him in that sort of sprint.

“He's a horse that really wants to compete, he's the best horse in Hong Kong at the moment. Today is all about him.”

Golden Sixty's winning time was 1:33.45; his closing 400m spilt, a strong 22.05.

Such a performance, with the admirable G1 FWD Champions Mile winner Southern Legend second and Admire Mars a battling third, sees Golden Sixty take up the baton as Hong Kong's latest star from the once imperious Beauty Generation.

Connections announced shortly after the race that 8-year-old Beauty Generation will race no more. Hong Kong's highest-rated galloper of all time – rated the equal of another great miler, Able Friend – bowed out with a meritorious fifth place and a Hong Kong career tally of 18 wins from 34 starts, as well as the local all-time record prize money haul of HK$106,233,750.

At his peak, Beauty Generation was an incredible force around Sha Tin, claiming two editions of the Hong Kong Mile among his eight G1 wins for trainer John Moore – his last three races came under the care of trainer David Hayes.

“I knew it may be on the table,” said Zac Purton, who rode the Kwok family's champion 28 times.

Beauty Generation

“It's a bitter-sweet day. It's a sad end. He's been the best horse for me in my career. I'm certainly going to miss him. He was brave again today and wherever he may go in the world, I'm sure I'll go and visit him in his paddock one day.”

Beauty Generation was high-class in Australia before scaling Hong Kong's heights but never ventured away from Sha Tin to test his mettle as a champion overseas. Lui said when pressed that the Golden Sixty team will consider off-shore options in the future but not while the world remains in its pandemic-induced turmoil.

“Not this season,” he said. “Because of the virus, we'll keep him in Hong Kong this season.”

With Ireland's Mogul carrying off the Hong Kong Vase and Japanese raiders Danon Smash and Normcore capturing the Hong Kong Sprint and Hong Kong Cup respectively, Hong Kong needed a big performance from its latest home town hero.

Golden Sixty delivered just that, and with it, the promise that Hong Kong has unearthed yet another athlete to rank among the world's best.

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‘We Have Managed This Crisis’: Hong Kong Successfully Stages International Races

Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges saluted Hong Kong's “unique spirit and resilience” after a successful staging of the Longines Hong Kong International Races featuring G1 glory across four world-class features shared between Japan, Ireland and Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday, Dec. 13.

“It is important to have these global events. We are very proud that as a team, we pulled this off,” he said.

“There were some anxious moments and discussions about 'How can we do this?' but in the end, we focused on the result and the results speak for themselves.

“The tracks were in outstanding condition, if you look at the way the horses were handled in quarantine and how the jockeys were brought into isolation facilities, everything went perfectly in challenging times.

“But this is the 'can-do' spirit of Hong Kong and the playing-to-win spirit of the Jockey Club.”

Engelbrecht-Bresges said challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic contrived to make the latest staging of the “Turf World Championships” the most difficult in the history of the Club.

“But the system we created was extremely robust. It all passed all the tough questions of health officials and I would like to thank the government for trusting us,” he said.

“You can have all the processes but, in the end, are you able to pull this off? And people say 'If there's one organization in Hong Kong to pull this off, that's the Jockey Club.”

“And we hope that this gives an example of how maybe other sports can do this.”

Acknowledging the success of Japan with Normcore in the HK$28 million Hong Kong Cup, Danon Smash in the HK$22 million Hong Kong Sprint and Ireland with Mogul in the HK$20 million Hong Kong Vase, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges paid tribute to the enterprise and support shown by visiting international horsemen.

“I want to give special credit to our overseas friends because it's about trust to send your people, to send your horses on such a journey,” he said.

“To have such an exquisite assembly of equine talent – be it horse, be it jockeys – to come to Hong Kong, we would like to really thank our friends overseas to enable us to stage such a global event.

“If you look at the event today, it went to absolute perfection.

“I think it was absolutely a global sporting event of the highest quality. It showed Hong Kong is one of the fairest places to bring a horse.

“The support we get from Ballydoyle, which is really the leading global racing operation, and that they have success winning with a horse like Mogul and a really good performance by Magical.

“Our Japanese friends must be very happy and there were some people saying you cannot win from barrier 14 on Danon Smash but if you have Ryan Moore on board, he can make it happen.”

Referring to local hero Golden Sixty's devastating HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile win, Engelbrecht-Bresges paid tribute to winning rider Vincent Ho.

“Vincent Ho was a shining example of investment in the future,” he said of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys' School graduate, who has risen to global recognition as a world-class rider.

“Vincent has definitely arrived today on the global stage as one of the really top-class jockeys,” he said.

“I'm definitely really pleased to see Golden Sixty show a tremendous performance and he's definitely one of the best milers in the world.

Engelbrecht-Bresges emphasised the Club's determination that “none of our activities should pose a risk to the health and wellbeing of our fans and customers” was unshakeable.

“We have clear guiding principles and with daily assessment, practically from the start of the year, we have managed this crisis and created a Racing Bubble,” he said.

“Everybody bought into this and I want to give credit to the whole team for pulling this off.”

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