Golden Sixty was crowned Four-Year-Old Champion at the Hong Kong Horse of the Year Awards on Thursday.
The Francis Lui-trained galloper became only the second horse after Rapper Dragon to win all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, including the Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
The Medaglia d’Oro gelding, who was purchased for $300,000 by Lui out of Riversley Park’s draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run 2YO Sale, went through the season unbeaten with seven wins.
Golden Sixty, who trialled in New Zealand on a number of occasions for Graham Richardson before his export to Hong Kong, also secured the bulk of the public vote to claim the Most Popular Horse title.
Dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation was named Champion Miler for a remarkable third season in a row. The Road To Rock seven-year-old remained a significant force at the highest level, and completed a hat-trick of wins in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Bred by Nearco Stud, Beauty Generation was sold through Highden Park as a yearling at Karaka for $60,000 and has amassed in excess of HK$100 million in prizemoney.
Beat The Clock, also a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run sale, where he fetched $200,000 from Prima Park’s draft, was named the season’s Champion Sprinter for the second year.
The John Size-trained six-year-old was a dual Group One victor this term, claiming the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), a race he also won in the 2018/19 season.
Good Luck Friend was named the season’s Champion Griffin after securing four wins from six starts. The Ricky Yiu-trained three-year-old son of Swiss Ace achieved his career highlight to date in a Class 3 1200m at Sha Tin, defeating seasoned gallopers to achieve a rating of 85.
Yiu, who was Hong Kong’s Champion trainer this season, purchased Good Luck Friend for $90,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale from the draft of Westbury Stud.
The Jimmy Ting-trained Amazing Star was named the season’s Most Improved Horse. The son of Darci Brahma started the campaign on a rating of 58 and rocketed 42 points to a mark of 100 after four wins in just six starts.
New Zealand domiciled stallions Savabeel (2nd), Darci Brahma (3rd) and Per Incanto (7th) were all top-10 on the leading sires table by winners in Hong Kong.
