Wishful Thinker highweight in National Day at Sha Tin

Only seven could be mustered for the Group 3 National Day Handicap on a special holiday Thursday afternoon card at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

The 1,000-meter National Day is run over a straight 1,000 meters, a common distance at the city track, Happy Valley, but less frequently run at Sha Tin, and most of the entrants have only a start or two over the Sha Tin configuration.

Top-rated at 115 and burdened with 133 pounds is Wishful Thinker, who finished third in the 2019 National Day, his most recent 1,000-meter Sha Tin start. Also back in action is the horse one place in front of him a year ago, Jolly Banner, who won well in his only other 1,000-meter Sha Tin start and comes into Thursday’s race with a solid first run of the Hong Kong season behind him.

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Big Party has as much talent as any of his rivals and won his most recent Sha Tin straight-course dash. But after winning well twice in a row last season, Big Party lost four straight starts, and each of the last two seasons he has finished fifth in his comeback run before winning second time out.

Computer Patch is in relatively light at 117 pounds, won his only 1,000-meter Sha Tin start, and got in a potentially useful first start of the season on Sept. 6. Gold Chest and Victoriam, two other relative lightweights in the handicap, have raced well over the distance but could be slightly outclassed, even getting weight.

The National Day goes as race 7 of 10 on a card that starts at 1 a.m. Eastern. Wagering and live video can be found at DRFBets.com

Golden Sixty wins eighth straight

Golden Sixty went 7 for 7 last season at Hong Kong, sweeping the Hong Kong 4-year-old championship series, and he began his 2020-21 campaign Sunday at Sha Tin with a 1 3/4-length win in the Group 3 Celebration Cup.

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Golden Sixty raced nearer the tail of the field than the head for much of the 1,400-meter Celebration Cup before coming with a wide stretch rally under Vincent Ho that carried him to a clear victory as the strong favorite.

Dead-heating for second with Champions Way was Beauty Generation, who had won the last three renewals of the Celebration Cup but on Sunday ran into a tough younger rival who got huge weight break, Golden Sixty carrying just 116 pounds compared to 133 for Beauty Generation. And as Golden Sixty ran freely to the wire, Beauty Generation was trapped inside and behind horses much of the stretch run; he finished well once clear and Champions Way, who toted just 115 pounds, got an extremely favorable head bob to deny Beauty Generation a clear second-place finish.

It’s possible Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty could meet again in the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy Handicap on Oct. 18, but what’s certain is both are aimed toward the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile in December. That race is not a handicap and Golden Sixty will have a chance to prove himself Beauty Generation’s equal on a fairer playing field.