Golden Sixty extends winning sequence to 15 with Jockey Club Mile success
Golden Sixty’s (Medaglia D’Oro) rehearsal for next month’s Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) went according to plan at Sha Tin yesterday as he brushed aside six rivals to claim the Jockey Club Mile (Gr 2, 1600m).
Looking to defend his Hong Kong Mile crown at the Hong Kong International Races on December 12, the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year extended his winning streak to 15 with a sublime last-to-first effort under Vincent Ho.
Last defeated in July of 2019, Golden Sixty looked in fine fettle as he launched from his customary position to score by a length, clocking 1m 34.55s ahead of the dual Group 1-winning Waikuku (Harbour Watch) and last season’s Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) hero Sky Darci (Darci Brahma), respectively.
Justifying 1.1 favouritism to win, Ho was pleased with his mount’s first-up performance following three trials in preparation for his seasonal return.
“He definitely wasn’t at his best today and we’re still building him up. After this race he should be pretty close to his top form,” Ho said. “We’ll see how he pulls up and do some recovery work on him and get him ready for the Internationals.”
Sizzling late, the six-year-old registered a slick 21.51s over the final 400 metres, the only horse in the contest to do so.
Yesterday’s triumph took Golden Sixty to a record-equalling 18 career wins in Hong Kong, alongside only Beauty Generation (Road To Rock) and Silent Witness (El Moxie), while his sequence of 15 successive victories has him just two shy of Silent Witness’ record-setting 17 in a row.
“It was a nice run, I think we both enjoyed that. It was the perfect draw (seven) on the outside with no speed in the race.
“They tried to pick up at the 600 (metre mark), bring the speed up, and that was good for us. He relaxed very well behind and just trucked through, saved some ground until the straight and he was able to cruise up easily and as usual, he did his job.
“He saw the winning post and he was sort of already ‘job done’ and he tried to slow down but I said ‘just give me two extra strides, please’,” Ho said.
Rated 131, Golden Sixty collected four mantles at last season’s Champion Awards, named Horse of the Year, Champion Miler, Champion Middle-Distance Horse and Most Popular Horse.
“There were no concerns (of a slow pace harming his chances) because his sprint home as a miler can be 21-something [seconds] so in this field it was difficult for them to actually sprint with me,” Ho said.
“I knew he was going to be fresh, last season we started at 1400 (metres) and I knew the pace was going to be faster than today. First-up over 1600 (metres) when he’s fresh and surely there’s no pace, it’s better to be slow but we know if I’m just at the back and nothing fires him up, he can relax very well and I can just wait to press the button,” Ho explained.
Winning trainer Francis Lui was equally as pleased with his star galloper’s effort.
“I must say we were confident in this race but I’m happy to see him win again. This horse has got a very good fighting heart and once he relaxes he has a very good turn of foot,” Lui said.
“Golden Sixty’s morning trackwork has been quite impressive, he’s more mature than last season. I discussed it with Vincent (Ho) and he seemed happy with the training and how he was behaving at trackwork,” Lui said.
Bred by Asco International, the gelding was purchased by Riversley Park and Enigma Farm for $120,000 from the Element Hill draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2017, before being snapped up by his trainer for $300,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale later that year and started his life in training with Graham Richardson in New Zealand.
Golden Sixty is out of Irish Group 2 scorer Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor), making him a half-brother to five winners, including stakes-placed duo Rainbow Connection (Choisir) and Igitur (Helmet).
Gaudeamus is herself the daughter of Leo’s Lucky Lady (Seattle Slew), making her a half-sister to stakes-placed pair Leo’s Luckyman (Woodman) and Leo’s Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus), with the latter the dam of Listed scorer Battle Force (Giant’s Causeway).
Further afield this is also the same family as Grade 3 winner King Zachary (Curlin), Italian Group 3 winner O’Juke (Jukebox Jury) and stakes-winning duo Moorland (Luxor) and Falconet (Falco).
Golden Sixty is one of 157 individual stakes winners and 26 elite-level scorers for former Darley shuttler Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado), who shuttled to Australia for ten seasons but did not return in 2017. The stallion now stands exclusively at Jonabell Farm – Darley’s Kentucky base – for a fee of US$100,000 (approx. AU$138,160).