Australian bred HK superstar Golden Sixty extended his unbeaten run to 15 at Sha Tin on Sunday with a stylish victory in the Group II Bochk Private Wealth Jc Mile (1600m), his dam Gaudeamus one of a stellar book of mares covered this spring by Wootton Bassett(GB).
The six year-old Medaglia D’Oro (USA) gelding was crowned 2021 HK Horse of the Year and certainly looked the goods when resuming from a break having not raced since winning the Group I Champions Mile back in April.
Golden Sixty showed his usual turn of foot at the finish to power clear and win by a length.
Justifying 1.1 favouritism to win, winning rider Vincent Ho was pleased with his mount’s first-up performance following three trials in preparation for his seasonal return.
“He definitely wasn’t at his best today and we’re still building him up. After this race he should be pretty close to his top form,” Ho said.
“We’ll see how he pulls up and do some recovery work on him and get him ready for the Internationals.”
Sizzling late, the six-year-old registered a slick 21.51s over the final 400m, the only horse in the contest to do so below 22s.
The victory takes Golden Sixty to a record-equalling 18 career wins in Hong Kong, alongside only Beauty Generation and Silent Witness, while his sequence of 15 successive victories has him just two shy of Silent Witness’ record-setting 17 in a row.
“I must say we were confident in this race but I’m happy to see him win again. This horse has got a very good fighting heart and once he relaxes he has a very good turn of foot,” Francis Lui said.
Headed towards the Group I HK International Mile, Golden Sixty capped a Group II running double for Lui who earlier landed the BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) with Lucky Patch.
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.
Element Hill sold a Capitalist filly from Gaudeamus at Magic Millions this year to All Winners Thoroughbreds for $425,000.
Gaudeamus missed last year, but has been covered by Coolmore’s proven Group I sire Wootton Bassett (GB) this spring.
