Golden Sixty makes clear who's tops in Hong Kong with Sha Tin Handicap win
Any doubt about who is the top dog in Hong Kong racing right now should have vanished at the 300-meter mark of the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy Handicap on Sunday.
Beauty Generation, long the best horse in Hong Kong, was slogging along, trying, fruitlessly, to get on even terms with pacesetting Ka Ying Star after pulling a perfect pressing trip. Several paths to his outside, there came Golden Sixty, cruising, well within himself, swooping from fifth place to first in less than a furlong. Five-year-old Golden Sixty is getting better and better. Eight-year-old Beauty Generation – well, he had his day.
Maybe, perhaps doubtfully, the gap between Golden Sixty and Beauty Generation won’t stay as wide – 3 1/2 lengths - all Hong Kong season. But Golden Sixty, who swept through the 4-year-old Championship Series last season, has won nine races in a row, and is 11 for 12 since being imported to Hong Kong from Australia, is a star still rising. He got 10 pounds from Beauty Generation on Sunday, but only three from runner-up Ka Ying Star, who got away with an easy lead and still was defeated.
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Ka Ying Star battled on after Golden Sixty swept past him, cutting the margin to a half-length at the finish, but Golden Sixty, according to trainer Francis Lui and jockey Vincent Ho, has a habit of putting on the brakes after making the lead. That’s what appeared to happen Sunday, as Golden Sixty hit the front without Ho uncocking his stick and seemed to win with plenty in the tank.
Winning time for the 1,600 meters was 1:33.37, which included a blistering final 400 from the winner in 21.81 seconds. Southern Legend finished third with a wide trip. Beauty Generation, making his second start this season and second since a trainer change to David Hayes, looked like he could improve Sunday in his second race this season but went the other direction, finishing sixth.
Golden Sixty is by Medaglia d’Oro out of Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor. His official Hong Kong rating had risen to 120 before Sunday’s start, and it’s going up again. The more Golden Sixty wins, the more weight he’ll have to carry in handicaps, though the big weight-for-age races, like the Hong Kong Mile in December, are upcoming. Beauty Generation at his peak won 12 straight races over three Hong Kong seasons. Golden Sixty is not far behind.