Golden Sixty Chases HK History in Champions Mile

FWD Champions Day April 24 at Sha Tin Racecourse comprises three international group 1 races which, thanks to continuing pandemic restrictions, have no international competitors this year—yet still pack plenty of interest.

To its credit, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, in cooperation with health officials, continued to attract top foreign horses to four major global racing days in 2020 and 2021. This time around, planning for the event coincided with the most stringent government regulations yet and the Club opted to leave the April 24 meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse an all-locals affair.

The picture is not entirely bleak.

First, the regulations are easing—slightly but meaningfully. For the first time in weeks, owners are being allowed into the track and the winners will get to pose with their horses beneath the victory arch on the grandstand apron. All off-course betting shops are back in business.

Also, the government has reopened the carefully controlled biosecurity corridor between Sha Tin and the HKJC training facility at Conghua on the Chinese mainland. That frees up horses that otherwise would have been stuck up north.

Perhaps more important on the day, there are enough good locals to make the three races worthwhile in their own right.

The centerpiece is the FWD Champions Mile (G1) with local Horse of the Year Golden Sixty chasing history on a couple fronts while facing the emerging younger rival California Spangle.

Golden Sixty would set records for the most Hong Kong wins with 21 should he perform to expectations in the Mile. With a first or second, he also would surpass the earnings record of HK$106,233,750 (about US$13.5 million) held by Beauty Generation.

Golden Sixty, a Medaglia d'Oro   gelding, hit a soft spot in an otherwise perfect Hong Kong record as he was defeated in consecutive races earlier in the season. But he bounced back impressively in his last, winning the Chairman's Trophy (G2), going the same 1,600 meters April 3, and after he drew an advantageous gate No. 2 for the Champion Mile, jockey Vincent Ho said all systems are go.

"He's 100%," Ho said. "He's right on track and fitter than last time. He's always got the fighting heart. Since his last start, he's brought on his fitness more and we are confident going into this race.

"Every time on him is a privilege and to win on him is definitely something really special," Ho added. "Words can hardly explain but every time there are goosebumps and every time is different."

Golden Sixty's trainer, Francis Lui, singled out BMW Hong Kong Derby runner-up California Spangle as the main threat, despite his loss to Romantic Warrior in that last race. California Spangle, a 4-year-old gelding by Starspangledbanner , and jockey Zac Purton will start from the No. 5 stall with another speedster, Healthy Happy, just to his inside.

"This will be his toughest race ever because he's running with the champion horses, all the good horses are in. It's a strong field," trainer Tony Cruz said of California Spangle.

"I think the mile is perfect distance for him. I believe he is still improving and I believe if he gets his own way, he'll run a big race. Healthy Happy is the only horse that can spoil the race for us."

The two companion races also feature quality fields.

Romantic Warrior has won six of seven Hong Kong starts with a second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup the only blemish on that record and the Acclamation  gelding stars in the FWD QE II Cup (G1) at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). The opposition includes Russian Emperor , winner of the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (G1) over the course and distance two starts back.

The Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1) at 1,200 meters (about six furlongs), looks to be a scramble with a well-matched field of 11. Wellington, an All Too Hard gelding, has back-to-back wins in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (G1) and the Sprint Cup (G2).

Sky Field makes his first start since winning the accident-marred Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) in December. Wellington was seventh in that and is back, as are Hot King Prawn, fourth in December, Computer Patch, sixth, and Lucky Patch, who went to the post as favorite but unseated his rider in the pileup.