When Golden Sixty’s 16-race winning streak ended Jan. 23, and when he lost again a month later, some wondered if Hong Kong’s best horse had lost a step. Nope – if anything, Golden Sixty is faster than ever.   Sunday at Sha Tin he became the fourth horse to win consecutive renewals of the Group 1, $2.55 million Champions Mile. His winning time of 1:32.81 for 1,600 meters was a stakes record, and Golden Sixty’s share of the purse gave him the Hong Kong career earnings record, $14.45 million. And the result never looked in doubt.  It's no coincidence that Golden Sixty has started winning again. He broke sharply, and for the second race in a row jockey Vincent Ho did not try to take Golden Sixty’s speed away. He let Golden Sixty run up the rail into fourth place down the Sha Tin backstretch run, the only horse directly in front of him pacesetting California Spangle. :: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, analysis, replays, and live streaming A wide lane opened outside California Spangle as the pace pressers fell away approaching the homestretch, Ho tipped Golden Sixty outside to attack the leader, and the Champions Mile effectively was over with a furlong to run. Pulling himself up in the very late stages, as he has done in the past, Golden Sixty still won by two lengths.  A year ago, Golden Sixty was all out to win the Champions Mile by a head, and a look at the fractional times tells the tale. In 2021, restrained to race last in a six-horse field, Golden Sixty clocked 23.03 for the race’s second 400 meters. Sunday, he ran the same portion of the race in 22.16 and establishing better position didn’t compromise his kick, Golden Sixty getting his final 400 meters in 22.55 on Sunday compared to 22.52 last year.  By Medaglia d’Oro out of Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor, 6-year-old Golden Sixty now has racked up a remarkable 23-20-1-1 career record.   “It’s not easy to have a horse who wins so many races. We are very happy, we all feel glory about this horse,” winning trainer Francis Lui told Hong Kong Jockey Club publicity.  All Golden Sixty’s starts have come in Hong Kong but that could soon change. Connections hold and entry in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen on June 5 in Japan and Lui said that if logistics permitted smooth travel and Golden Sixty came out of the Champions Mile in good order the gelding would make the trip.  Neither Golden Sixty nor any other horse Sunday had to deal with Japanese shippers, who normally come to this card in strong numbers but were unable to travel this year because of COVID-19.  California Spangle, making his group stakes debut after a strong run through Hong Kong’s 4-year-old classic series, held well to finish second, a half-length in front of Excellent Proposal. All three Group 1s on Sunday were run at level weights.  Four-year-old Romantic Warrior went one better than California Spangle winning the Group 1, $3.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup by two lengths over Tourbillon Diamond. Romantic Warrior beat California Spangle in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and, most recently, in the Hong Kong Derby, following up on an initial success over 2,000 meters with confirmation in the QE II that he comfortably stays the trip. Under Karis Teetan, Romantic Warrior had good early position around the first of two turns, but was shuffled farther back into the field during a messy run down the Sha Tin backstretch. Teetan got his mount outside and into the clear for the stretch run and Romantic Warrior produced a final 400 meters in 22.62 to draw clear through the final furlong. Trained by Danny Shum, favored Romantic Warrior clocked a solid 2:00.18 while winning for the sixth time in seven starts. An Irish-bred by Acclamation out of Folk Melody, by Street Cry, Romantic Warrior’s only loss in seven starts was a fourth-place finish in the Hong Kong Classic Cup, where he suffered through an impossible trip. Romantic Warrior began his career last October racing in a Class 4 handicap at Happy Valley and his rise to win the QE II six months later nearly defies belief.   Wellington, meanwhile, cemented his position as Hong Kong’s leading sprinter with a 1 1/4-length score in the Group 1, $2.55 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize, which Wellington also won last year. Alexis Badel guided Wellington through a favorable stalking trip, his mount going his last 400 meters in a snappy 22.06 to pull away in the final 100 meters. Wellington, the narrow favorite, clocked 1:08.09 for 1,200 meters while winning for the ninth time in 15 starts. Richard Gibson trains Wellington, a 5-year-old Australian-bred son of All Too Hard and Mihiri, by More Than Ready.