Golden Sixty continues to amaze with Hong Kong Mile triumph

Reasonable critiques can be applied to Golden Sixty’s status as an historically great horse. He never has raced outside Hong Kong, nor has the level of his competition always been elite. But that Golden Sixty, to whatever extent, is great seems undeniable at this point. On Sunday at Sha Tin, he won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile for the third time and did so with a breathtaking turn of foot and under difficult conditions.

Making his first start in 224 days while racing at age 8, Golden Sixty also was saddled with the outside post in a 14-horse field. A long run to the Mile’s one turn makes such an outside draw less deleterious than under some configurations, but Golden Sixty leapt over every barrier presented.

Slotted into a a stalking spot while three-wide with cover, an excellent position considering his wide draw, Golden Sixty came out into the clear at the head of the homestretch, with about 400 meters to run, and unleashed a breathtaking run. Going his penultimate 200 meters in 10.68 seconds, he had the Mile won in a dozen strides. With Golden Sixty slowing slightly in the final stages, his long break likely catching up to him, Voyage Bubble, winner of last season’s Hong Kong Derby, made some late progress, but the outcome never was in doubt, the winning margin was 1 1/2 lengths.

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“He’s a monster. When I asked him for an effort, he lengthened like I can’t believe – he’s still got that turn of foot. It’s crazy,” jockey Vincent Ho said.

Ho gave Golden Sixty some questionable rides a couple seasons ago. This one was a beauty, the best connections could have imagined given the circumstances.

“I was confident, even from gate 14, as long as I could get into the right position,” Ho said. “Everything just went pretty ideal. I visualized this and it happened.”

Voyage Bubble ran well in defeat, finishing nearly three lengths clear of third-place Namur while making his third start of the season. Golden Sixty’s winning time of 1:34.14 for the 1,600 meters was the slowest of his three HK Mile wins. He joins Good Ba Ba as the only three-time winners of the race. Golden Sixty last year finished second by a neck to California Spangle, who beat one horse Sunday.

The gelding’s accomplishments amaze. Trained by Francis Lui, Golden Sixty, a son of Medaglia d’Oro and the Distorted Humor mare Gaudeamus, has a record of 30-26-2-1. He has earned $18.94 million and has won a Hong Kong-record 10 Group 1s. And while his ideal trip is one mile, Golden Sixty over 2,000 meters last season beat Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Gold Cup. Romantic Warrior last month won the Group 1 Cox Plate, and on Sunday captured his second Group 1 Hong Kong Cup.

Owner Stanley Chan Ka Leung appears intent on retiring Golden Sixty after two more domestic races, the Stewards Cup on Jan. 21 and the Hong Kong Champions Mile on April 28. Not that Golden Sixty has lost a step.

“He’s not 8 – he feels like he’s four,” Ho said.

And Golden Sixty, however you want to rate him, is great.

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