The Francis Lui-trained evergreen Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro) secured a fourth straight Hong Kong Champion Miler title with his outstanding winning performance in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) last December.
The three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year returned first-up after a 224-day break between runs, and also overcame the widest of 14 barriers to win his third Hong Kong Mile in 1m 34.10s.
The victory was the Medaglia d’Oro gelding’s 26th at his 30th start, enhancing his Group One tally to 10 – a Hong Kong record. He further extended his world-record earnings to HK$167,170,600 after finishing a creditable fourth in the Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on yielding ground.
Golden Sixty was sold by Riversley Park at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for NZ$300,000 to trainer Francis Lui. He then went under the early care of Matamata trainer Graham Richardson where he had three educational trials, winning the last of those at Te Teko in August 2018, before being sent up to Hong Kong.
Golden Sixty was not the only horse sold out of New Zealand to be honoured at the Hong Kong end of season awards.
The David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ), a son of Shamexpress, finished his rookie season with five wins and two seconds from just seven starts to be acclaimed Champion Griffin.
The three-year-old soared 59 points to 111 after starting the campaign rated 52. He is also this term’s Most Improved Horse. The gelding capped his campaign with victory in the G3 Sha Tin Vase handicap (1200m), getting the better of a group of older rivals including Flying Ace.
Ka Ying Rising is out of the five-time winning Per Incanto mare Missy Moo (NZ) and was bred by Grandmoral Lodge Racing.
Photo: HKJC