New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale graduate Golden Sixty (Medaglia DāOro)Ā stands alone as the highest prize money earner in Hong Kong racing history after the faultless defence of his HK$20 million Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) crown at Sha Tin on Sunday.Ā Ā
Sealing his sixth Group One in the process for jockey Vincent Ho and trainer Francis Lui, Golden Sixty enhanced his all-time bank to HK$113,400,600 with HK$11.4 million for first place today, surpassing the mantle of HK$106,233,750 previously held by Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock).
Ho described Golden Sixty eloquently post-race: āHeās one in a lifetime.ā
Following todayās effort, a campaign to Japan is an option for Hong Kongās champion with Lui confirming his entry for the Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) at Tokyo on 5 June.
āYes, he is entered already but of course, we have to see how he recovers and we also need to see the quarantine, whether we can go and how the arrangements work.
āIf everything is easy, we will go,ā Lui said.
Fairy King Prawn (2000) and Bullish Luck (2006) are the only two Hong Kong-trained horses to have won the Yasuda Kinen.
Ho, 31, relished his third consecutive FWD Champions Mile triumph after previously succeeding aboard Southern Legend (2020) and Golden Sixty (2021).
Stepping away cleanly from gate two, Golden Sixty settled in fourth spot on the rail as California Spangle (Starspangledbanner) led the field under Zac Purton.
In the straight, Ho pulled the six-year-old out and in the blink of an eye he had the race shot to bits as California Spangle battled bravely for second, beaten by only two lengths while Excellent Proposal (Exceed And Excel) filled third.
āHe did well. He travelled comfortably and actually when Zac steadied the pace a little bit he started to travel a bit keen but he is strong enough and brave enough to push through that gap and run them down easily,ā Ho said.
Todayās victory marks Golden Sixtyās 21st, achieved across 24 starts in Hong Kong.
āHe still wanted to slow down a bit the last couple of strides but he did amazing,ā Ho said.
Golden Sixty ā in the silks of owner Stanley Chan ā clocked a winning time of 1m 32.81s, much to the pleasure of Lui.
āHe did his job, like last time. Last time he had a good draw and he followed the pace and this time he just did the same.
āHe can really follow the pace now, not like before when he needed to sit behind to start and sometimes he got too far behind. Heās really stepping up.
āItās not easy to have a horse who wins so many races. We are very happy, we all feel glory about this horse,ā Lui said.