Beauty Generation runs away with Champions Mile

HONG KONG - Beauty Generation gave jockey Zac Purton a scare in the first strides of Sunday’s Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Typically, Beauty Generation is reliable away from the gate, but on Sunday the 5-year-old gelding was not as sharp.

“It wasn’t ideal,” Purton said.

Within a furlong, Purton had Beauty Generation in front. By then, the chasing field of seven locally based runners was overmatched.

Allowed to set a reasonable pace after the opening quarter-mile, Beauty Generation, the 4-5 favorite, held his advantage to win his third Group 1 race in his last five starts in the $2.294 million Champions Mile on turf.

Purton said Beauty Generation’s ability to take the lead from rival Pingwu Spark was the difference.

“That was a crucial part of the race and that’s where he won it,” Purton said.

Purton was as much relieved as delighted that Beauty Generation found his way to the front. The gelding’s speed is considered his best asset.

“You don’t want to sit and sprint,” he said.

Beauty Generation was timed in 1:33.31, including a final quarter-mile in 22.96 seconds. He ran the opening quarter-mile in 24.09 seconds, timed from a standing start.

Western Express, a 20-1 chance, closed with a wide run to finish second. Beauty Generation and Western Express were first and second in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile against an international field in December.

Western Express is winless in his last seven starts, but jockey Sam Clipperton was left impressed by his mount’s second-place finish on Sunday.

“The winner was able to get a steady run,” Clipperton said. “He’ll win one of these.”

Southern Legend, a 15-1 outsider, finished third, followed by Beauty Only, Singapore Sling, Pingwu Spark, Seasons Bloom, and Blizzard.
Beauty Generation is trained by John Moore and provided the all-time winningest trainer in Hong Kong with his seventh career success in the Champions Mile, all since 2007.

Moore, 68, described Beauty Generation as being “a bit dour at the start.

“Zac got him going,” Moore said. “When he gets in front, he’s a grinder and runs at the highest level.”

A New-Zealand bred, Beauty Generation has won 9 of 22 starts. He began his career in Australia, where he was second in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas for 3-year-olds in March 2016. Beauty Generation was sent to Hong Kong in late 2016 and was third in the 2017 Hong Kong Derby for 4-year-olds.

Beauty Generation won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile against an international field in December and won the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at seven furlongs on Feb. 25. He was not as sharp in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy at a mile on April 8, failing to make the lead.