Golden Sixty featured on stellar Sha Tin program
There are three important races Sunday in Hong Kong but one horse rises above the rest, Golden Sixty, who will be heavily favored to extend his winning streak to 13 when he starts in the Group 1, $1.55 million Hong Kong Gold Cup.
Golden Sixty meets just six rivals at level weights, 126 pounds, and while Hong Kong’s best horse might be a miler at heart, he won his only race over Sunday’s 2,000-meter trip (about 1 1/4 miles) when he captured the Hong Kong Derby last spring. That was Golden Sixty’s seventh straight win and, a better horse this season than last, the gelding has added five more tallies during the 2020-21 Hong Kong season. The last two came in Group 1s, the Hong Kong Mile, which Golden Sixty won easily, and the Jan. 24 Stewards Cup, where jockey Vincent Ho had to call on all Golden Sixty’s late acceleration to get his mount up by a nose in a false-paced affair that became a sprint to the finish.
A year ago, Exultant, Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year, would’ve given Golden Sixty all he wanted Sunday, but as Golden Sixty has soared to his peak, Exultant has slid down the other side of the mountain. Even at this longer distance, Golden Sixty only will lose if he fails to run to form or finds significant trouble.
:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming
It was Southern Legend who nearly snatched the Stewards Cup from Golden Sixty last month, and while Golden Sixty stretches out, Southern Legend shortens up to race 1,400 meters in the Group 1, $1.55 million Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Southern Legend, one of nine entered, is capable and consistent but this race is on the short side of his distance preference and he got a very favorable setup in the Stewards Cup.
Waikuku should race very competitively in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, his third start of the season. Waikuku finished fourth in the Stewards Cup but suffered through a very difficult trip and roared home with a final 400 meters in 21.95 seconds, second only to Golden Sixty’s 21.80 final fraction.
Finally, the 1,800-meter Hong Kong Classic Cup, another $1.55 million race, this one the second leg of the 4-year-old Championship Series, which began with a victory by Excellent Proposal in the Hong Kong Classic Mile last month. This easily is the most interesting of the three big stakes, with Excellent Proposal one of 14 entrants in a race with many plausible outcomes.
:: Download DRF's Guide to Betting Hong Kong Racing
Excellent Proposal, a somewhat surprising Hong Kong Classic Mile winner after finishing 11th in a Class 2 handicap two weeks earlier, already has won over 1,800 meters and will have Blake Shinn back in the saddle for trainer John Size. Excellent Proposal had a fine draw in post 5 and had won three in a row before that 11th-place finish, meaning he has a decent chance to avoid regressing and contending again Sunday.
Sky Darci, beaten favorite in the Classic Mile, probably won’t be helped by the additional 200 meters he must navigate, while Lucky Express, second to Excellent Proposal in the Classic Mile, is by Toronado, a miler during his career. Tourbillon Diamond, third in the Classic Mile, which was only his third Hong Kong start, is by another miler, Olympic Glory, but his dam is by Montjeu and should lend stamina to stay this longer trip. Tourbillon Diamond has finished strongly in his trio of Hong Kong starts and could be set to peak.
And don’t underestimate Lucky Patch, who set the Classic Mile pace before fading to fourth while easily besting anyone else who raced close to the front. Delightful Laos has been running strong 1,650-meter races a Happy Valley but has started only once at Sha Tin.
First post for this cardis midnight Eastern. The Silver Jubilee goes as race 3, the Gold Cup as race 7, and the Classic Cup as race 9. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.