Aussie bred HK superstar Golden Sixty took the first step on his path toward the 2020 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races with an impressive win in the Group III Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Hong Kong’s first Pattern race this season was billed as the clash between Beauty Generation, who had won the race for the past three years, and Golden Sixty and it did not disappoint, with the latter reigning supreme for trainer Francis Lui and jockey Vincent Ho.
“I think at the moment he is the best horse that I have trained – he’ll step up in distance to 1600 metres now and then of course the target is the Hong Kong International Races,” Lui said.
The Medaglia d’Oro gelding made the most of the 17 pounds he received off the two-time Horse of the Year, Beauty Generation (133lb), who finished a dead-heat second alongside Champion’s Way by one and three quarter lengths.
“It’s very exciting to be back on him (Golden Sixty), he felt great and fresh today – once I got a clear run I knew he’d run them down,” Ho said. “I think he is one of the best horses in Hong Kong at the moment.”
Golden Sixty has the impressive record of 11 wins from 12 starts and Lui will now look towards the December riches on offer in the $25 million Hong Kong Mile or the HK$28 million Hong Kong Cup, should he opt to step up to the Derby distance of 2000m again.
“He looks like he is more mature – at the moment his best is between 1600 metres and 2000 metres,” Lui said.
Golden Sixty was a $300,000 NZB Ready to Run Sale purchase for his trainer from the Riversley Park draft and was a super successful pinhook having been sourced from the Element Hill draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $120,000.
Golden Sixty is the best of four winners from US bred Irish Group III winner Gaudeamus (USA), a Distorted Humor mare from the family of Group I stars Bosra Sham and Hector Protector.
Gaudeamus has a yearling filly by Capitalist and was covered last year by Widden Stud’s Trapeze Artist.
