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Hong Kong Mile: On 10-Race Win Streak, Trainer Lui Feeling Quietly ‘Confident’ In Golden Sixty

Wary and respectful of world-class opposition, trainer Francis Lui carries a characteristically understated sense of confidence into the Grade 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile with Golden Sixty at Sha Tin on Sunday, hopeful his flagbearer can continue an extraordinary winning streak.

Only the fourth horse to win 10 consecutive races in Hong Kong's professional era – a feat achieved by Silent Witness, Co-Tack and Sunday's adversary Beauty Generation – Golden Sixty faces his biggest challenge at the weekend against a line-up packed with quality.

Lui, bidding for his first LONGINES Hong Kong International Races triumph, believes Golden Sixty is ideally placed to continue his streak against last year's winner Admire Mars and Aidan O'Brien's Order Of Australia.

“I'm confident on the horse but the overseas horses – their form is good. The Japanese horse (Admire Mars) won it last year. The Irish horse (Order Of Australia) won the Breeders' Cup, he has strong form,” he said.

“To me and my stable team, it's another record if he can win.

“I'm very happy with his trackwork because he was quite relaxed. He's more relaxed with another horse. If he goes by himself, he's keen in the early part but today he followed the other horse.

“Everything is ready.”

Lui confirmed he would not burden jockey Vincent Ho with instructions.

“I'll leave it to him because, from first day he has ridden this horse and he knows him, and I don't want to give him pressure,” he said.

“Anything can happen in a race and, if he listens to me, it's another story. So, I will leave it to him.”

While concentrating on nothing other than Sunday, Lui indicated the BMW Hong Kong Derby winner could return to 2000-metre contests.

“Next month, he might have another mile but after that I think about the step up to 2000 metres,” Lui said.

Opening the options for a G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) tilt on Feb. 21, 2021 should Lui opt to head there.

“Last season, he ran in the Derby, 2000 metres.

“I don't have many choices. If I go to the big races, I have to think about it.”

Ho is similarly upbeat about the horse who has helped catapult the former Hong Kong champion apprentice to international prominence.

“He's a super horse. He's got a great mentality, just wants to chase whatever is in front of him in the straight,” Ho said.

“He just jumps out the gate and settles really well, wherever I want him to be, he's OK.

“Some horses can ran 20 seconds or 21 seconds for 400 metres, but he can produce that sprint in 1200m or 2000m races.

“Every jockey dreams of a horse like this. When you're on him, it's just so special. He not just makes you a better jockey, but he can win big races for you.”

Ho will also partner Caspar Fownes' Classique Legend in the HK$22 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) on what looms as a landmark day for the jockey.

“Classique Legend has trialed well and galloped well on Tuesday morning,” Ho said.

“He is a superstar in Australia, hopefully he can bring that form on Sunday. I'm extremely grateful to be on two great horses.

“The support I have received is great. I've been working very hard for years and I appreciate the trust they have in me to put me on their horses.

Karis Teetan, who will oppose Ho and Golden Sixty aboard Southern Legend in the Mile, is fatalistic about his chances in the HK$25 million feature.

“Well, after watching Golden Sixty gallop on Tuesday morning, I'm in trouble,” he said.

“Vincent, of course, has some history with Southern Legend (riding him three times for a win, a second and fifth placing). I'm lucky enough this time to ride him again.

“Of course, we all have respect for Golden Sixty but, when we're out there, the only thing in our mind is trying to win the race.”

The post Hong Kong Mile: On 10-Race Win Streak, Trainer Lui Feeling Quietly ‘Confident’ In Golden Sixty appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Joseph Eyes Florida Derby Preps After Allowance Win By Moonlite Strike

Sonata Stable's Moonlite Strike is likely to embark on the Road to the Florida Derby (G1) following his gutsy victory in Thursday's featured optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Moonlite Strike ($4.80) withstood race-long outside pressure before prevailing by a head over Peachtree Stable's Kiger, a stablemate in trainer Saffie Joseph Jr's. barn, in the mile optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds carded as Race 8 on a 10-race program.

“All races are under consideration. Kiger didn't win so he'll probably go back in one of those [optional claiming allowances] again, just because we have the option to develop him more. There are only stakes for Moonlite Strike,” Joseph said. “The Mucho Macho Man will be under consideration in about three weeks again. There is also the Holy Bull (G3) if we want to give him more time.”

The mile $100,000 Mucho Macho Man is scheduled to kick off Gulfstream's Road to the Florida Derby on Jan. 2. The 1 1/16-mile $200,000 Holy Bull (G3) is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Moonlite Strike, who graduated by two lengths over a sloppy Gulfstream Park West in his second career start Nov. 14, broke cleanly from his No. 1 post position but was immediately confronted on the outside by Advance Cash and Real Talk. Jockey Edgard Zayas let the son of Liam's Map settle into stride while racing inside of the early leaders before sending him to the lead on the far turn. Real Talk continued to press him into the stretch before tiring while Moonlite Strike forged ahead to open a clear lead in mid-stretch.

Kiger, who was rated behind the early speeders by Emisael Jaramillo, made a steady run through the stretch but was unable to get the better of his stablemate. Hercules finished third 5 ¼ lengths farther back.

“Moonlite Strike had kind of a tough trip and did it the hard way,” Joseph said. “Kiger got the run of the race, basically. Both ran well. Kiger didn't switch leads. He's a bit of a weird horse. There's a lot more talent there, but he just waits, waits, waits. He got a good education today.”

Moonlite Strike, who ran a mile in 1:38.96, was sold at the 2019 Keeneland September sale for $120,000.

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‘Resurrect An Old Champion’: Beauty Generation Chasing Third Hong Kong Mile Victory

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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No Change In 2018 Santa Anita Derby Results As Stewards Dismiss Complaint In Justify/Hoppertunity Case

Justify's win in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, and that of stablemate Hoppertunity in the 2018 Tokyo City Cup, will stand. The Santa Anita board of stewards voted Wednesday to dismiss a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) complaint into the results of both races without any change in the final order of finish. The Board brought the complaint as part of a settlement agreement in a civil suit from Ruis Racing, which owned Bolt d'Oro, runner-up to Bob Baffert-trained Justify in the Santa Anita Derby.

The CHRB faced public outcry when a New York Times report revealed that post-race samples from both horses contained scopolamine, but that the board voted in a secretive, closed-door meeting not to pursue action against trainer Bob Baffert. CHRB equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur advised the board that several other horses also showed levels of scopolamine in their systems around the same time, which led him to believe the tests were the result of environmental contamination. Scopolamine can sometimes be found as a result of exposure to jimson weed, which grows in California and may sometimes end up in hay or bedding.

“Even if this panel were to disagree with the CHRB's decision to dismiss these matters or the way the CHRB handled the situation it cannot be argued that the CHRB lacked the authority to do so,” read the stewards' decision. “The law specifically allows such actions to take place and the CHRB followed the law.”

Stewards heard evidence from the CHRB and connections of both horses on Oct. 29. The horses' connections went to court in an attempt to block a stewards' hearing on the 2020 CHRB complaint but were unsuccessful.

The complaint brought this year after the Ruis civil suit focused only on whether Justify and Hoppertunity should be disqualified. It was not designed to impose sanctions on Baffert or any other individual.

In a written explanation, the stewards said their decision came down to the timing of changes to the classification of scopolamine. At the time of the races, scopolamine was a Class 3 drug by California rule, which would have required automatic disqualification of a horse regardless of the reason it was present in a post-race sample. However, by the time of the closed meeting for the board to discuss the Justify finding, the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) had changed the classification of the substance to a Class 4. The CHRB voted on in a regular, open meeting held on Aug. 23, 2018 to adopt an amendment to its drug rules which put them in line with ARCI guidelines — including, among other things, changing scopolamine from a Class 3 to a Class 4. The presence of Class 4 or 5 substances in horses post-race does not include automatic disqualification as a penalty.

It was in the closed-door executive session portion of that same Aug. 23 meeting that the board heard information about the scopolamine positives, including that of Justify, and voted to dismiss the whole thing without filing a complaint or referring the matter to the stewards for a hearing. CHRB rules at the time permitted the board to handle the case this way, with no public disclosure.

Wednesday's stewards' decision acknowledges that Arthur warned the board during that executive session “there might be a perceived lack of transparency should the CHRB fail to go public with the decision and that it would probably not remain a secret.”

The decision went on to question how the outcome may have been different had it gone through the normal channels for a post-race finding and done so more quickly.

“It is the stewards' opinion that had this board of stewards heard the Justify and Hoppertunity complaints prior to Aug. 23, 2018, both horses would have been disqualified.”

See the full stewards' decision here.

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