Tag: Hot King Prawn

A Cooler, Calmer Golden Sixty Returns To Action

Having passed the potentially gut-busting early-season group handicaps, where he'd have been forced to concede plenty of weight, reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) makes his much-anticipated 6-year-old debut in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse.

By all accounts, it is a much more mature version of Golden Sixty, who was last seen taking out the G1 FWD Champions Mile nearly seven months ago to run his winning streak to 14, three wins shy of the record held by the legendary Silent Witness (Aus). One of those horses that does just enough in his trials heretofore, the bay has put his rivals to the sword and is unbeaten in three morning hit-outs ahead of this comebacker. He should be fit enough to dispatch of a familiar cast en route to the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Dec. 12.

“He's good, he's healthy. He's more relaxed as you can see even in his gallops,” trainer Francis Lui told the HKJC notes team.

“I think he's getting more mature all the time. He's very well. He's good. We have this Sunday's race and then the Hong Kong Mile and then we'll see after that what we do,” he added.

 

Sunday's co-featured G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200mT) also lures a pair of top-shelf runners who race first-up in the form of Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and the evergreen Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}). Wellington won four of his six starts last term, capping the season with a 1 1/2-length defeat of the re-opposing Computer Patch (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize Apr. 25. Hot King Prawn is the defending champion of this event and bounced back from a subpar seventh as the favourite in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint to earn a long-overdue top-level tally in the Centenary Sprint Cup. He was last seen finishing fifth, four lengths in back of Wellington, in a Class 1 handicap over course and distance Mar. 13.

“He's always been quite an easy horse to get fit and, of course, he's a very good horse so he always gives me a good feel,” said jockey Alexis Badel of Wellington. “He might need that first piece of competition, he might need to have that run but he looks good, fresh and happy. His action is good as well.”

Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky), third in last year's BMW Hong Kong Derby, earned champion stayer honors with a victory in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400mT) in May and was highly impressive in taking out the G3 Sha Tin Trophy H. over an insufficient 1600 metres Oct. 17. The 5-year-old entire is the marquee horse in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup over a much more suitable 10-furlong trip, a race he'll be using as a steppingstone to either the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup–the richest event on International Day Dec. 12–or the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase over the 2400 metres.

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Nearly 60 Top-Level Winners Entered for Longines HKIR

With a record HK$100 million available across the four tests that comprise the Longines Hong Kong International Races, some 135 horses from all corners of the globe–including a whopping 57 that have already struck at Group 1/Grade I level–have been entered for the 'Turf World Championships,' to be held Sunday, Dec. 12 at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Despite the ongoing complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic–the staging of the Longines HKIR is officially subject to the approval of the HKSAR Government–fully 90 entries were received from the connections of overseas runners, eager to take a crack at some of Hong Kong's finest Thoroughbreds.

There is no higher-profile horse in the region than Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), the reigning Horse of the Year and defending champion of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. The 6-year-old, trained by Francis Lui, has won 17 of his 18 career starts and is currently in the midst of a 14-race winning streak. The gelding is set to have his first run of the season in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile Nov. 21.

Japanese-based horses won two of the four events last season and make up 40 of the entries from abroad. Among them are Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who upset the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint last December, as well as champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who holds an entry for the day's richest event, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000mT) as well as the Mile. The daughter of Tapitsfly (Tapit) is slated to run in this weekend's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo. Also among the entries from the 'Land of the Rising Sun' are last weekend's G1 Kikuka Sho hero Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), Vase; Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), the reigning G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner; G1 Yasuda Kinen hero Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and the well-traveled Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), currently in America for the Breeders' Cup meeting who took out the G1 FWD QE II Cup over the Sha Tin 2000 metres this past April.

Europe is strongly represented in each of the four HKIR. Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could return to Sha Tin for a title defence in the Vase, while the Joseph O'Brien-conditioned State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) has been given an entry in both the Cup and the Vase as he tries to build on his narrow victory in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Oct. 23. Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who will be looking for a repeat success in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on Saturday week, has also been handed dual entries, while Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), recently a good third to Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champion S. Oct. 16, is an interesting 3-year-old possibility for Cup-winning trainer Jim Bolger. This year's G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) holds an entry for the Vase.

The home team always puts up a strong defence, that could include top sprinter Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}); Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky), a treble Group 1 winner in Chile who took out last year's G1 Champions and Chater Cup over 12 furlongs; last year's BMW Hong Kong Derby victor Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}); and last-start G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize hero Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), to name but a few.

The United States is represented by a pair of entries in the form of Gufo (Declaration of War) and Channel Cat (English Channel), each nominated to both the Cup and the Vase, while Singapore-based trainer Stephen Gray has entered Singapore Derby winner Hard Too Think (Aus) for the Cup and the Vase; and Kharisma (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) for the Sprint.

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Golden Sixty Crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year

Having secured champion 4-year-old honours in 2019-2020, courtesy of his sweep of the local Triple Crown, Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) capped a perfect 5-year-old campaign by being named the Horse of the Year in Hong Kong during ceremonies held Tuesday evening at Happy Valley Racecourse.

Bred in Queensland by Asco International Pty Ltd., Golden Sixty–an A$120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling turned NZ$300,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run breezer, took his overall winning streak to 14 during the season and to 17 from 18 overall, using his trademark and devastating turn of foot to defeat the evergreen Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and defending champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) for a breakthrough Group 1 success in the Longines Hong Kong Mile in December (see below).

After narrowly besting Southern Legend to win the G1 Stewards' Cup over the metric mile, trainer Francis Lui elected to stretch Golden Sixty back out in trip for the 2000-metre G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. In a slowly run affair, Vincent Ho set his mount alight three furlongs from home and looped the field, but fellow Derby winner Furore (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) saved all the ground and the duo battled tooth and nail to the line, with Golden Sixty best by half a head (video). After giving serious consideration to taking on Japan in the G1 FWD QE II Cup in April, trainer Francis Lui stepped his charge back down for the G1 Champions Mile. It proved no easier, however, as his stablemate More Than This (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) ran him to a head in yet another nail-biting finish.

The lone finalist for champion miler, Golden Sixty was also named champion middle distance horse, earning the nod over Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}). The connections of the latter did not leave Happy Valley empty-handed Tuesday, as they were rewarded for their victory in the BMW Hong Kong Derby with this year's champion 4-year-old prize. The NZ$160,000 NZBJAN graduate won five of his nine trips to the post for champion trainer Caspar Fownes and followed his Derby score with his first open stakes success in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy H.

 

WATCH: Golden Sixty becomes a Group 1 winner in the Longines Hong Kong Mile

 

In what would have been a hotly contested division, Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) was named champion sprinter on the strength of a long-overdue first Group 1 tally in the Centenary Sprint Prize in January, with champion jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle. The Torryburn Stud-bred veteran, an A$90,000 purchase out of the 2016 Inglis Sydney Classic sale,  left a pair of potential future champions in his wake, including G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize hero Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and the unbeaten Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), who debuted–like all unraced newcomers–off a mark of 52 in October and finished on 107 after winning the G3 Sha Tin Vase H. in late May. Courier Wonder was named most improved horse for the 2020-2021 season.

Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky), a good third to Sky Darci in the Derby, clinched champion stayer honours with his season-ending success in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup over 2400 metres. The Chilean import could be set for the G1 Melbourne Cup, trainer Tony Millard told the HKJC press team Tuesday.

The David Hayes trained Fantastic Treasure (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) was unbeaten in five starts, including a Class 2 score in May, and was named champion griffin for horses aged two or three on the date of the first Hong Kong meeting of the season and which were unraced upon their import into Hong Kong.

The final fixture of the 2020-2021 Hong Kong season is set for Wednesday night at Happy Valley. Racing resumes in early September.

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At Long Last, Hot King Prawn Gets His Group 1

Entering Sunday's G1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin, the likeable Hot King Prawn (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) had won half of his 22 career starts and had been out of the top three on just four occasions. His record at Group 1 level left more to be desired, as he had been blanked from seven previous tries, but the John Size trainee righted that wrong with a convincing success Sunday.

Drawn gate two for Joao Moreira, Hot King Prawn was driven along early and found himself in the perfect spot from third as Voyage Warrior (Aus) (Declaration of War) set a decent pace from Computer Patch (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). Moreira peeled Hot King Prawn three deep outside of the dueling front-runners at the 400m mark, reeled in Voyage Warrior with a little less than a furlong to travel and came away to a facile success. Regency Legend (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), first-up for better than 400 days and who displayed some obstreperous parade ring behavior, flashed home up the fence to take a photo for second from Big Party (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).

 

WATCH: The popular Hot King Prawn finally climbs the hill in the Centenary Sprint Cup

 

Pedigree Notes:

A half-brother to multiple Australian Group 3 winner Siren's Fury, Hot King Prawn is the first top-level scorer for Twin Hill Stud's Denman and is the 26th GI/G1SW produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled's Song. Breeder Torryburn Stud consigns Hot King Prawn's yearling full-brother as lot 561 to next month's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, while Hot King Prawn's half-sister Storm Siren (Aus) (Excites {Aus}) is the dam of lot 347, a Widden Stud-consigned yearling from the first Southern Hemisphere crop of Coolmore's Churchill (Ire).

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
CENTENARY SPRINT CUP-G1, HK$12,000,000 (£1,128,669/€1,275,325/A$1,996,071/US$1,548,035), 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.01, gd.
1–HOT KING PRAWN (AUS), 126, g, 6, by Denman (Aus)
1st Dam: De Chorus (Aus), by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Val de Grace (Aus), by Centaine (Aus)
3rd Dam: Renasans (NZ), by Ashabit (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$90,000 Ylg '16 INGFEB). O-Lau Sak Hong; B-Torryburn Stud (NSW); T-John Size; J-Joao Moreira; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 23-12-5-2, HK$34,087,300. *1/2 to Siren's Fury (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), MGSW-Aus, $379,420. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: D+.
2–Regency Legend (NZ), 126, g, 5, Pins (Aus)–Sparkling (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$50,000 Ylg '17 NZBJAN). O-Wong Shun Yuen; B-Waikato Stud Ltd; T-Danny Shum; J-Antoine Hamelin; HK$2,640,000.
3–Big Party (Aus), 126, g, 6, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–De Groove (Aus), by Dehere. (A$420,000 Ylg '17 INGEAS). O-Ryan Wong Man Yeung & Roland Wong Ka Yeung; B-G S A Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Vic); T-Frankie Lor; J-Karis Teetan; HK$1,200,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, NO, NK. Odds: 11-10, 27-1, 40-1.
Also Ran: Voyage Warrior (Aus), Computer Patch (Aus), Fat Turtle (Aus), Buddies (Aus), Wishful Thinker (Aus), Stronger (Aus), Jolly Banner (Aus), Amazing Star (NZ). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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