Swinging Sixty punches HKIR ticket with dominant Sha Tin success

Swinging Sixty lands knockout blow

Golden Sixty delivered another knockout blow to stamp himself as one of the world's most dangerous milers at Sha Tin.

Francis Lui's Hong Kong Derby hero was sent off at 1.1 for the £450,000 Jockey Club Mile in his bid to become only the fourth horse in HK history to win ten races in a row.

Several familiar rivals and prolific handicap winner Mighty Giant stood in his way - and Ka Ying Star put up the sternest resistance - but Vincent Ho never had a moment's concern in a race run at even fractions and Golden Sixty's powerful turn of foot settled matters for the thirteenth time in 14 career starts.

The Medaglia d'Oro gelding bounded a length and a half clear under hand riding, despite edging slightly right as usual, stopping the clock in a time just 0.27s outside Beauty Generations's 1600m track record and recording the latest in a long line of sub 22s closing splits.

Ho had been concerned about the prospect of getting pocketed on the inner from stall one but was beaming as he returned to scale after describing Golden Sixty as "a once in a lifetime horse."

"There wasn't much headache," he added. "The main goal is always to relax him and get him to hit the line strongly and he's definitely getting more mature both at the gate and in the race."

This was Golden Sixty's first venture into set weights G2 company and in making such a seamless transition he joined HK legends Co-Tack, Silent Witness and champion miler Beauty Generation as a member of the 'perfect ten' club.

Dual Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Generation and several high-class international rivals will bid to prevent him taking the final step to G1 level on December 13 but Ho is confident that his partner is having the perfect preparation.

"I've never been in a F1 car but that is the sort of feeling his acceleration gives you," he added. "The Mile in December has been his target all year and the whole team feels extremely lucky to be involved with a special horse like this."

Prawn coming to the boil for HK Sprint

The Hong Kong champion sprinter throne is vacant after the departure of its two most recent occupants and Hot King Prawn staked a claim to it with a narrow yet well deserved success under Joao Moreira in the Jockey Club Sprint.

John Size's grey, beaten a neck by stablemate Beat The Clock in last year's Longines Hong Kong Sprint, was easy to back in the face of strong support for Computer Patch and was sent off at 3.9 to repeat his 2018 success in this race.

A fast pace from the off left no hiding place in the straight, but Hot King Prawn gradually got the better of a sustained duel with Computer Patch and forged three quarters of a length clear close home as the principals held off the late surge of 49-1 chance Rattan.

The winner stopped the clock in 68.0s, just 0.5s outside of Sacred Kingdom's track record set in this equivalent race in 2007.

Moreira was the man who thwarted Hot King Prawn aboard Beat The Clock in last year's Hong Kong Sprint but is more than happy with his new partner now that last season's champion and previous champ Mr Stunning have both retired.

"I couldn't have gone any better," he said. "Hot King Prawn has proven once again he has so much class.He won the race with quite a bit of authority and I couldn't be happier with how he's going into December's race.

"I do believe there is more to come. Some of the others from today's race may improve as well but I couldn't be any happier as he's going into December with the potential of an improving horse. He's bumped into very good horses in the past and, as those big guys are no longer around, so I do believe he might be the one."

Size knows exactly what is needed to capture the world's richest 1200m G1 having won it with Mr Stunning and Beat The Clock and agrees that there could be more to come from Hot King Prawn in December.

"He had ten months break after a colic operation in the lead-up to last year's Hong Kong Sprint so he was a little bit disadvantaged but this time he's probably had a more comfortable preparation.

"He'll just have an easy three weeks now. He's six this season but sometimes our good horses in Hong Kong can be that age and still do their best - it's one of those jurisdictions where a mature horse can have an advantage sometimes."

Meanwhile, Size is well are that a new and highly dangerous rival stands in his way for the December showpiece.

Classique Legend is currently rated the world's joint best sprinter with an international mark of 125 for his commanding Everest win and, having recently left Aussie handler Les Bridge to join Caspar Fownes, some have suggested the grey can run below his peak and still prove too good for the HK elite next month.

"It's difficult to assess him from here," added Size. "You'd have to see him race in Hong Kong and we'll probably get a better guide then. My horse seems to be on the right track so we've still got a chance."

Furore fires again to book a Magical date

Furore maintained his unbeaten record for Joao Moreira by flooring stablemate Exultant for the second time this season in the Jockey Club Cup over 2000m.

Last year's HK Derby hero lost his way for Frankie Lor but has come back to form with a vengeance for Tony Cruz and clicked at the first time of asking under Moreira when beating Exultant in the Ladies' Purse last month.

Hong Kong's Horse of the Year was favoured to take his revenge on 6lb better terms but Furore travelled powerfully from a long way out in a truly-run race.

Exultant stuck to his task willingly having been driven along from the home turn by Zac Purton, but Furore was always holding him and won by three quarters of a length, breaking the two-minute barrier with a final time of 1.59.32s.

Moreira played down his own role in Furore's revival, saying "I just got on him at the right time" before adding that "he's flying and he showed how much class he has and how well Tony Cruz has got him going at the moment.

"Good horses make a jockey's life much easier. He travelled very kindly, the pace was genuine, and he ran away to win very impressively and easily."

Exultant finished second in this race two years ago before getting the better of an epic duel with Lys Gracieux in the Hong Kong Vase over 2400m and Cruz was far from downhearted to see him forced to play second fiddle to his stablemate again.

"Furore had some health issues but he has really come back strong with Joao aboard and it's good that he and Exultant will go for different races again in December," he said.

Meanwhile, Moreira is no longer stalling on his mount for the Hong Kong Cup in three weeks' time. The Magic Man's name had been linked with one of several potential Japanese contenders but now has no doubt who he will be aboard for a £2.8 contest that could well attract Aidan O'Brien's globetrotting mare Magical from Ireland and the Champion Stakes runner-up Skalleti from France.

"Furore crossed the line with plenty left in himself so he's got me so excited for the big day in December," he said. "No doubt about it, I'll be riding Furore in the Cup."