Carrying the weight of Hong Kong and more on his shoulders, Golden Sixty will make his highly anticipated return to racing on Sunday [Nov 20] as Sha Tin hosts a full-scale dress rehearsal for the Longines HK International Races on Dec 5.
The reigning HK Horse of the Year returns to action in the BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile as trainer Francis Lui plots a third straight win in the Hong Kong Mile.
Golden Sixty will be seeking to complete a hat-trick in Sunday’s G2 contest. “He’s fit – it’s his first time running this season but he’s fit,” said Lui, speaking at trackwork on Tuesday morning [Nov 15].
“He’s more mature and relaxed. He’s still strong enough and hopefully he can do the same again this season.”
A 21-time winner in Hong Kong, Golden Sixty returns this time around as a seven-year-old with six G1 wins and HK$113 million ($14.5m/£12.2m) banked, making him the highest earning racehorse in the history of racing in the territory.
“We do the same with him, there are no changes,” Lui went on. “In trackwork he is the same but in the stable you have to be careful if you go inside his box – even if you touch him, you have to be careful!”
With regular partner Vincent Ho in the saddle, Golden Sixty will face six rivals in this weekend’s HK$5m event, namely California Spangle, More Than This, Turin Redsun, Kings Shield, Waikuku and Excellent Proposal.
“Sometimes if it’s a full field he has to tail off with a bad draw but against a small field, it’s better, even if the pace isn’t fast enough,” Lui said.
California Spangle – one of Hong Kong’s most rapidly improving prospects – is the likely leader of the race this weekend, while Golden Sixty should do the chasing from the tail of the field as per usual.
“California Spangle is up-and-coming,” said Lui. “Golden Sixty is a seven-year-old so he can only keep his form, while California Spangle can improve and maybe one day he can beat my horse but you never know which race.”
The last time the pair met, Golden Sixty won the FWD Champions Mile in April, while California Spangle filled second a further two lengths away.
Also on Sunday’s card is the BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint, in which star sprinter Wellington is bidding for a fifth straight win, while HK Derby winner Romantic Warrior heads the BOCHK Jockey Club Cup over 1,200m (1m2f).
With regular rider Karis Teetan out due to illness, James McDonald, the world’s #1 rider according to TRC Global Rankings, will take the reins on the four-year-old as he bids to extend his HK record to eight wins from nine starts.
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