Beauty Generation Stars on Champions Day in Hong Kong

Hong Hong's reigning Horse of the Year, Beauty Generation, put on a show in the April 28 FWD Champions Mile (G1) at Sha Tin Racecourse, thoroughly dominating a half dozen rivals and potentially earning a confrontation with Japan's star filly Almond Eye.

In the day's other group 1 events, local runner Beat the Clock upset Australia's star sprinter Santa Ana Lane in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, and Win Bright defeated Hong Kong's Exultant in the FWD QE II Cup in course-record time.

But without question, the warm and steamy day at Sha Tin was all about Beauty Generation.

With Zac Purton up, Beauty Generation shot right to the front from gate 2 in the Champions Mile, led by daylight all the way, and won by 1 1/2 lengths—never asked for run. The easy effort could pave the way for a trip to Japan and a showdown with that country's undefeated star filly Almond Eye in the June 2 Yasuda Kinen (G1).

Beauty Generation landed his ninth straight victory and second straight Champions Mile. His winning streak includes three other group 1 races, including the Longines Hong Kong Mile in December. He boosted his career earnings to HK$84.77 million (about US$10.8 million).

Singapore Sling and Simply Brilliant chased the champion home, finishing second and third without hope of catching the winner, who stopped the clock in 1:33.63 but could have done better.

"It's hard to say how much more he had in there," Purton said after the rocking chair ride. "He did his job. It's all he can do."

"The whole world knows we have a hell of a miler here in Hong Kong," said Beauty Generation's trainer, John Moore. Asked whether the rest of the world might see the horse, starting in June in Japan, Moore deferred to his owner, Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen, and Patrick's father, Simon.

"I think he's still got a lot left in the tank," Moore said. "That would be a real telling factor in his career."

But Moore cautioned the owners have other, local goals for Beauty Generation. And while Patrick said early in the week he is eager to go to the Yasuda Kinen, he cautioned, "I own the horse. But my father pays the bills."

Almond Eye's owners identified the Yasuda Kinen as a goal this month after scrapping plans to send the 4-year-old Lord Kanaloa filly to the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) in the fall.

Beauty Generation, a 6-year-old Road to Rock gelding, suffered his most recent defeat April 8, 2018, in the Chairman's Trophy (G2), which he returned to win this year.

A trio of locals battled it out through the final 200 meters in the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1), with Beat the Clock finishing a tick ahead as the hot favorite and highly rated Australian challenger Santa Ana Lane stalled to finish fourth.

After showing the way, Rattan settled for second, a neck behind Beat the Clock and a half-length to the good of Little Giant. Santa Ana Lane was never in the mix. Beat the Clock, a 5-year-old Hinchinbrook gelding, finished the 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) in 1:08.26 after relatively slow early fractions.

Mr Stunning, winner of the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) in December, was a late scratch with a foot issue.

A consistent in-the-money runner in Hong Kong, Beat the Clock has not been worse than third in 20 starts. He entered the Chairman's Sprint Prize off a second behind Rattan in the April 7 Sprint Cup (G2).

Winning rider Joao Moreira said he was "extremely happy" with a moderate pace. "I'd say the race went perfectly for him," he added.

John Size, who trains Beat the Clock, said the horse is finding his best stride as a 5-year-old.

"He's a joy to bring to the races because he's so consistent and such a willing participant," Size said.

The trainer added there are no plans to travel with Beat the Clock. Instead, the gelding will rest and await the group 1 races in his 6-year-old season.

Hugh Bowman, who rode Santa Ana Lane, said, "Well, I don't think we saw the best of him today. But take nothing away from the winner. He was too good."

Win Bright salvaged the day for Japan with a three-quarter-length victory in the FWD QE II Cup. After scraping the paint around the first turn and down the backstretch, jockey Matsami Matsuoka found running room 300 meters out, hit the front inside the 100-meter mark, and held off the locally based favorite, Exultant. Another from the Japanese contingent, Lys Gracieux, finished third.

"He didn't have gate speed today," Matsuoka said, "but he got a good position and had a fast gallop."

Win Bright, a 5-year-old by Stay Gold, finished the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) in a course-record 1:58.81. He came to Hong Kong after winning two graded stakes in Japan but had not landed a group 1.

Trainer Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, making his first visit to Hong Kong, commented on the warm weather but said Win Bright wasn't affected. "He did nothing special," the trainer said. "It was his normal works, but he did run fast on Wednesday."

Hatakeyama said if Win Bright continues to develop, he will be considered for a return visit for the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1) at the same distance in December.

Asked how he thought Beauty Generation might fare if he contests the Yasuda Kinen, Hatakeyama said diplomatically, "We welcome Beauty Generation to Japan."