Aethero dazzled in the Jockey Club Sprint and Exultant dominated the Jockey Club Cup, but Beauty Generation suffered his second straight defeat when finishing third in the Jockey Club Mile on Hong Kong International Races prep day Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse. Two-time Hong Kong horse of the year Beauty Generation had his 10-race winning streak snapped Oct. 20 when giving a massive amount of weight in a handicap race. But even on a more level playing field Sunday, conceding five pounds in the Jockey Club Mile, Beauty Generation couldn’t uncover his winning form as Waikuku rallied up the rail and won by three-quarters of a length. Ka Ying Star, with whom Beauty Generation dueled in the early stages, stayed on resolutely and finished second, a full length in front of a struggling Beauty Generation. Seven-year-old Beauty Generation has won the last two renewals of the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile on the Hong Kong International card but will be hard-pressed to three-peat without a sharp turn in his current form. Jockey Zac Purton told trainer John Moore not to worry about Beauty Generation, but for the second race in a row, Beauty Generation proved unable to carry his speed to the wire. “[Purton] said we just need to tweak something to make sure on that big day that he’ll kick,” said Moore. “We just need to find out what because he’s not finding that usual kick.” Waikuku, the clear second betting choice ridden by Joao Moreira, clocked 1:32.89 for the 1600 meters over good going and is an ascendant 4-year-old for trainer John Size. Waikuku, an Irish-bred by Harbour Watch out of London Plane, by Danehill Dancer, won four of his first five Hong Kong starts last season before going over the top late in his campaign when stretched to 2000-meter trips perhaps farther than ideal. His development through three starts this season has been steady and seems sustainable, and he can be a player Dec. 8 in the Hong Kong Mile. Meanwhile, Exultant turned in an especially strong performance in his prep for a repeat bid in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase next month, winning the Jockey Club Cup by 1 1/4 lengths over Furore. Sunday’s race came over 2000 meters, which Exultant can navigate, while the Vase is contested at 2400 meters, which might bring out even more from Exultant. Purton rode Exultant judiciously through the homestretch after Exultant had taken care of business but did express some post-race concern that Exultant might’ve had to work harder than would be ideal for a three-weeks-out prep. That happened mainly because of Dark Dream, who made an early backstretch move into a strong pace, forcing Purton to leave the fence and go around the far turn without cover to avoid being shuffled back on the rail. Dark Dream continued to press forward around the far turn and Purton again had to alter tactics accordingly, letting Dark Dream run up to the tiring leaders to take command as Dark Dream faded off the scene. “I just hope this hasn’t been a gut buster,” said Purton. Exultant, who showed off push-button acceleration Sunday, is trained by Tony Cruz and was timed in 1:59.77 as the solid favorite making his second start this Hong Kong season. The 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding is by Teofilo out of Contrary, by Mark of Esteem, and has become a middle-distance force in Hong Kong. Aethero might have turned in the race of the day winning the Jockey Club Sprint by two easy lengths after a tremendous display of speed. Aethero crossed from an outside draw under Karis Teetan, went clear before the turn, and never came close to being threatened after turning on his jets in upper homestretch. He crossed the line two lengths in front of talented Hot King Prawn with top Hong Kong sprinter Beat the Clock third. Aethero is just a 3-year-old on Southern Hemisphere time and thus got a lot of weight from his older rivals Sunday – 10 pounds from Hot King Prawn, 15 from Beat the Clock – but he’ll also get a nine-pound weight break Dec. 8 in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint. An Australian-bred by Sebring out of Pinocchio, by Encosta del Lago, Aethero is trained by John Moore and now has won five of six Hong Kong starts, all those victories coming by at least 1 ¾ lengths. Sunday, he clocked 1:07.58 for 1200 meters, just .08 off the course record. “The sky is the limit,” Moore said. Hot King Prawn, however, could be one to watch in the HK Sprint. He badly disappointed last December in the Hong Kong Sprint, leading and fading to ninth as the favorite, but Sunday’s start was his first race since the HK Sprint and Hot King Prawn, who often has led, showed a different dimension stalking the pace and coming with a run.