With the Chinese New Year just over the horizon, the best of the old and most promising of the new were both on display on a big day at Sha Tin Racecourse Jan. 24.
Golden Sixty ran his record to 12 straight wins, confirming his status as Hong Kong's top gun despite giving trainer Francis Lui a bit of a scare. Excellent Proposal won the first leg of the local Derby series—the first step down the path Golden Sixty dominated a year earlier.
Into the bargain, Hot King Prawn finally got his first group 1 win in the Centenary Sprint Cup (G1) after knocking on the door long enough to bruise the knuckles of trainer John Size and jockey Joao Moreira.
As he has been through nearly two seasons, Golden Sixty was the shining star despite the narrow margin of his victory in the Stewards' Cup (G1).
Under Vincent Ho, Golden Sixty took back to second-last as Ka Ying Star led the way down the riverside backstretch with Southern Legend in a comfortable stalking position. Ho confidently brought Golden Sixty around the field heading into the stretch and took aim at the leaders inside the 200-meter mark.
With 100 meters to go, Southern Legend had the advantage but the result remained in doubt. Then Golden Sixty found just enough to put a head in front, running his winning streak to 12 and certifying his spot as the boss in Hong Kong. Southern Legend was second with Ka Ying Star three-quarters of a length farther back in third.
Golden Sixty rose to fame during the 2019-20 season, sweeping the Four-Year-Old Classic series that finishes with the BMW Hong Kong Derby. He tried group 1 company for the first time in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) in December, handily defeating a field that included some well-fancied international talent.
Ho said he was always confident of victory, noting the slow pace and a slipped saddle likely contributed to the relatively narrow margin.
"The saddle slipped back a little bit at the 300 meters. It was still OK but it was not as comfortable for me and Golden Sixty, of course," Ho said. "But top athletes, top horses need to overcome all kind of different circumstances—something you can't predict but you have to ready for that."
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Golden Sixty now has in his sights on Silent Witness' Hong Kong record of 17 straight wins. Lui, admitting to a case of nerves midway through the Stewards' Cup—"I was a bit worried. The pace was slow"—said all being well, his star will move along to the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (G1) at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) Feb. 21.
While Golden Sixty was confirming his status, this season's top 4-year-olds embarked on their journey toward this year's Derby in the Hong Kong Classic Mile. Excellent Proposal, at odds of 23-1, ground out the win, defeating stablemate Lucky Express by three quarters of a length with the favorite, Sky Darci, reporting sixth. John Size trains the top two finishers.
The race was beset with issues as Tsar reared in the gate before the start and was scratched. Celestial Power dwelt badly, spotting the field five lengths. And second-favorite Enrich Delight was pulled up midway down the backstretch with an injury to his left front leg.
Excellent Proposal, an Exceed And Excel gelding, raced near the back of the field for jockey Blake Shinn, swung well out toward the center of the course at the top of the stretch, and advanced steadily to the front, leading for the final 100 meters. The victory was his fourth from five starts this season with the earlier scores coming in class 3 and class 2 events. Doubts arose, though, as he finished a puzzling 11th in his final preparation for the Classic Mile.
"I ran a few tests over him to see if there was anything amiss but I couldn't find anything," Size said. "I galloped on the Saturday and trialed him on Tuesday (and) there was nothing untoward going on with the horse at all. I was always of the opinion that he needed a race to switch him on."
The Four-Year-Old Classic Series continues with the 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) Hong Kong Classic Cup Feb. 21 and the BMW Hong Kong Derby at 2,000 meters one month later.
Size had another satisfying win in the day's third big race as Hot King Prawn, a veteran of top-level Hong Kong Sprints, finally landed a group 1. Jockey Joao Moreira piloted the 6-year-old gray to a 1 3/4-length victory in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) Centenary Sprint Cup.
Hot King Prawn, a Denman gelding out of the Unbridled's Song mare De Chorus, got the perfect trip while stalking on the rail, advanced smoothly when asked after straightening for home, and had things under control through the late stages. Regency Legend and Big Party, a pair of long shots, were separated by a nose for second and third.
Hot King Prawn has been one of the most consistent runners in Hong Kong for three seasons, seldom finishing out of the frame against the best of local and foreign rivals. Along the way, he had a second, two thirds, and a fourth in six previous group 1 events but a seventh-place finish in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) Dec. 13 had his fans wondering.
Size also nursed the gelding back from a serious bout with colic in 2019.
"There was some frustration previously that he hasn't won a group 1," Size said. "But in fairness, he has run into some very smart horses in the last two or three years.
"He was able to do his best today," the 11-time champion trainer added. "You couldn't have written the script any more perfectly and Joao did exactly what was expected and so did the horse and he had an easy win."
Moreira, who is running away with the Hong Kong jockey premiership, said Hot King Prawn always "gave us the feeling that he was capable but, unfortunately, he took a little long. … He won today and the best thing is that I believe there is more to come from him."
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