Three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Golden Sixty, won the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile for the third time, marking his 10th Group 1 race win and his 25th victory from 30 career starts.
‣ Golden Sixty, a three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year, won the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile for the third time, marking his 25th win from 30 career starts.
‣ Despite starting from the widest barrier in a full field of 14 and being an 8-year-old, Golden Sixty delivered a dominating performance, breaking clear to the cheers of a packed Sha Tin grandstand.
‣ Golden Sixty’s win in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile ties him with Good Ba Ba as three-time winners of the Mile.
SIMPLY. THE. BEST. 😳😳😳
Golden Sixty wins a third Hong Kong Mile, overcoming gate 14 to triumph for @Vincenthocy and Francis Lui… @LONGINES | #HKIR | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/eYx8M1e4aN
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 10, 2023
Golden Sixty made a triumphant return to the racetrack after a 224-day hiatus. This was his first race as an 8-year-old and he didn’t disappoint. From the widest barrier in a full field of 14, he delivered a performance that arguably tops his impressive career.
The three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year was one of the first to break the line. Despite the odds stacked against him, he was sent away as the 13-10 favourite. Vincent Ho, the only jockey Golden Sixty has ever known, managed to secure a position in the three-wide line. He had cover on the back of Japan’s Danon the Kid, with Tribalist leading from California Spangle.
As the race approached the lane, Golden Sixty was switched off heels. He quickly overtook the front-runners, breaking clear to the cheers of a packed Sha Tin grandstand. This was his third win at the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, a feat that cements his legacy in the sport.
Golden Sixty’s win also marked his 10th Group 1 race victory and his 25th win from 30 career starts. This puts him in the elite company of Good Ba Ba, another three-time winner of the Mile.
The race details are as follows: LONGINES HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$36,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-10, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.10, gd. Golden Sixty, by Medaglia d’Oro, is out of Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor. His second dam is Leo’s Lucky Lady, by Seattle Slew, and his third dam is Konafa, by Damascus.
Golden Sixty’s lifetime record stands at 3x Horse of the Year, 2x Ch. Miler, Ch. Middle Distance Horse & Ch. 4yo-HK, 2 30-26-2-1, HK$165,840,600. He is half-brother to Igitur and Rainbow Connection.
The race concluded with Voyage Bubble in second place and Namur in third. The margins were 1HF, 1 1/4, NK. The odds were 13-10, 30-1, 12-1. Other participants included Soul Rush, Beauty Joy, Beauty Etenal, Serifos, Encountered, Lim’s Kosciuszko, Cairo, Divina, Danon the Kid, California Spangle, and Tribalist.
Golden Sixty’s victory was celebrated on social media. HKJC Racing tweeted, “SIMPLY. THE. BEST. Golden Sixty wins a third Hong Kong Mile, overcoming gate 14 to triumph for @Vincenthocy and Francis Lui… @LONGINES | #HKIR | #HKracing.” This tweet was accompanied by a video of the race’s highlights.
