Champion galloper GOLDEN SIXTY is set to continue his record-breaking career when he attempts to become the first horse to win the HK$20 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on three occasions.
After victories in 2021 and 2022, GOLDEN SIXTY will head into the 2023 version as the crowd favourite to beat arch-rival CALIFORNIA SPANGLE in what appears to be a two-horse race.
GOLDEN SIXTY has already joined BEAUTY GENERATION (2018 & 2019), XTENSION (2011 & 2012), ABLE ONE (2007 & 2010) and BULLISH LUCK (2005 & 2006) as dual Champions Mile winners. His rider VINCENT HO is equal with BRETT PREBBLE as the race’s most successful jockey at three wins apiece.
Former Japanese champion MAURICE (2016) and star South African visitor VARIETY CLUB (2014) are the only two international winners of the race, with the latter winning by four lengths, the most significant winning margin in the race’s history.
History against Haggas in QEII Cup
Champion British trainer WILLIAM HAGGAS will need to defy history if he is going to win the HK$25m FWD QEII Cup (2000m) with rising star DUBAI HONOUR, who is back for his second attempt at the race after finishing a luckless fourth in 2021.
DUBAI HONOUR recently claimed the Sydney version of the QEII Cup in breath-taking fashion, his second Group 1 success across the Autumn Carnival.
However, history suggests the Hong Kong version of the QEII Cup may be one bridge too far for HAGGAS, with local runners winning eight of the past 12 editions. Five of those home winners went on to be crowned “Horse of the Year” (2011 Ambitious Dragon; 2013 Military Attack; 2014 Designs On Rome; 2016 Werther & 2020 Exultant).
Another alarming statistic is that the remaining four overseas winners all hail from Japan, Rulership (2012), Neorealism (2017), Win Bright (2019) and Loves Only You (2021). The winner has only represented Hong Kong or Japan in the past dozen QEII Cup editions.
Favourites get Lucky in the Sprint Prize
Statistics point to a favourable outcome in the HK$20m Chairman’s Sprint Prize, with 17 of the past 38 favourites (45%) winning the race, including 11 that started even-money or shorter.
This year the Manfred Man-trained four-year-old LUCKY SWEYNESSE will be out to stop local challenger WELLINGTON from completing a record-equalling third consecutive win. However, it’s worth noting that only four four-year-olds have won this race since 2000, SILENT WITNESS (2004), SACRED KINGDOM (2008), IVICTORY (2018) and WELLINGTON (2021).
