HONG KONG racing has a new star as Golden Sixty triumphed in an epic HK$20 million BMW Hong Kong Derby over 10 furlongs at Sha Tin on Sunday to complete a clean sweep of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series. He won the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January and the Hong Kong Classic Cup in February.

It was a first Derby for jockey Vincent Ho, trainer Francis Lui and owner Stanley Chan.

Golden Sixty, an Australian-bred son of Medaglia D’Oro, quickened from a wide outside 11th place at the top of the straight and completed a final two-furlong split in a very swift 21.83s, the fastest at the course and distance since Designs On Rome clocked 21.82s in the 2014 Jockey Club Cup.

Golden Sixty’s final time was a race record time of 2m 00.15s.

The gelding is out of the Distorted Humor mare Gaudeamus who raced in Ireland for Jim Bolger and John Corcoran and won the Group 2 Debutante Stakes in Leopardstown.

“I think I can sleep well tonight, all the pressure on my shoulders has just gone,” jockey Ho said after he had driven the favourite to a flashing neck win over the 289/1 shot Playa Del Puente.

Ho angled Golden Sixty from behind horses into a wide run, at least six lengths behind the front running Playa Del Puente who had made an audacious burst clear under Blake Shinn.

“Round the bend, they slowed down the pace and that’s why the other horse was able to run away but Golden Sixty showed excellent acceleration. I was worried but I could see Golden Sixty was trying very hard,” trainer Lui said.

Ho had to sit and wait when Shinn opted to roll Playa Del Puente from last to first, over three out. Golden Sixty was shuffled back to the rear behind a tempo that had steadied for a sprint home.

The runner-up is an Irish-bred son of Elzaam who won the Listed Patton Stakes in Dundalk when trained by Mick Halford.

“I wasn’t too worried, I know my horse can produce a really good turn-of-foot and he relaxed really well for me through the race. When I saw the winning post, I knew I should be able to get him, as long as the other horse didn’t accelerate again,” Vincent Ho added.

“He’s got the best turn-of-foot in the field and I just had to be patient.”

Golden repeat

Golden Sixty became only the second horse – the other was Rapper Dragon in 2017 – to win all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win all the four-year-old classics and he’s a superstar for sure; I think today, especially, it was very difficult to come from behind and sprint like that,” Ho said.

Ho becomes one of only four Hong Kong-born jockeys to have won the Hong Kong Derby in the past 50 years.

“It’s such an amazing feeling, my first Derby on a horse that I love so much and he’s such a good horse,” he said.

Lui was delighted to have finally won the Derby after 25 years as a trainer. “It’s not easy,” he said. “I’m very happy – I have to say thank you to my stable team.”

Lui will now look to FWD Champions Day on April 26th with options in the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile and Group 1 FWD QEII Cup.

The Danny Shum-trained Irish-bred Playa Del Puente began to falter as the winner surged home and Blake Shinn could do no more.

“He ran his heart out. We left nothing to chance and put everything on the table when they slowed mid-race, we put it to the rest of the field.

“I knew my horse had a lot of stamina and I had confidence taking off that he would keep going – he did that, he was there for me, he just got beat by a superstar horse on the rise.”

Playa Del Puente and third-placed More Than This, also trained by Lui, both sported the silks of owner Huang Kai Wen.