Golden Sixty flies late to win Hong Kong Derby by a neck

Golden Sixty closed from 11th through the stretch with a spectacular rally to win Sunday’s $2.57 million Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin Racecourse, completing a sweep of the circuit’s early-year Triple Crown for 4-year-olds.

Golden Sixty won the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January and the Hong Kong Classic Cup at 1 1/8 miles in February. He is the second horse to sweep the series, preceded by Rapper Dragon in 2017.

Sunday, Golden Sixty ($3.40) won the Hong Kong Derby at 1 1/4 miles by a neck over 289-1 Playa Del Puente, the longest shot in a field of 14. Golden Sixty was timed in a stakes record 2:00.15.

Playa Del Puente, a minor stakes winner in Ireland in March 2019 before he was sent to Hong Kong, took a surprising lead with less than a half-mile remaining, but could not hold off the late move by Golden Sixty, who was ridden by Vincent Ho.

“I wasn’t too worried,” Ho told Hong Kong publicity. “I know my horse can produce a really good turn-of-foot and he relaxed well for me through the race. When I saw the winning post, I knew I should be able to get him as long as the other horse didn’t accelerate again.”

Playa Del Puente, ridden by Blake Shinn, finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of 2-1 More Than This. Golden Sixty and More Than This are trained by Francis Liu.

Shinn made a quick move to put Playa Del Puente on the lead, a strategy that nearly worked.

“He ran his heart out,” Shinn said. “I knew my horse had a lot of stamina and I had confidence taking off that he would keep going. He did that. He was there for me. He just got beat by a superstar horse on the rise.”

Ho, Liu and owner Stanley Chan all had their first career wins in the Hong Kong Derby on Sunday. Ho, 29, is the first Hong Kong-born jockey to win the Hong Kong Derby since Tony Cruz in 1995. Cruz is now a trainer in Hong Kong and started the longshots Star Performance and Private Secretary, who finished 12th and 13th in the Hong Kong Derby.

Golden Sixty, an Australian-bred gelding by Medaglia d’Oro, has won 10 of 11 starts and is in the midst of a seven-race winning streak. His only loss was a 10th-place finish last July in his final start of the 2018-19 Hong Kong season. The season resumed in September.

Liu said Golden Sixty will be considered for two Group 1 races at Sha Tin on April 26 – the $2.57 million Champions Mile or the $3.21 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 1/4 miles.