Beauty Only back on track for Champions Mile

HONG KONG - Beauty Only won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile in 2016, but was nearly retired earlier this year after a series of disappointing races.

A nose win in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy on April 8 ended that discussion and put Beauty Only on schedule for the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trained by Tony Cruz, Beauty Only was beaten a nose in the 2017 Champions Mile when ridden by Zac Purton.

Neil Callan, a 39-year-old from Ireland, has the mount on Sunday, which will be the 19th time he has been aboard Beauty Only.

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Callan told Hong Kong publicity on Wednesday that Beauty Only helped to sustain his career when he arrived from Ireland earlier this decade. Beauty Only was bred in Ireland and was a Group 3 winner in Italy, racing under the name Gentleman Only, before he was shipped to Hong Kong.

Callan rode Beauty Only for the first time in October 2014. Beauty Only has had 42 starts, 38 in Hong Kong.

“Just by chance the owners approached me and asked me to ride him,” he said. “They said they wanted a strong European jockey for a European horse.”

Beauty Only was a 36-1 chance when he closed from the back of the field and won the Chairman’s Trophy.

“The race was run to suit and he had nice, fast ground, which was the most important thing,” Callan said.

Firm ground is likely on Sunday in a race that lacks an international shipper. Beauty Only must contend with Seasons Bloom, the expected favorite who won the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup on Jan. 28 and was third in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup miles on Feb 25.