The Romantic Warrior and jockey James McDonald continued to win, as the five-year-old was one of the Hong Kong horses winning three out of four Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin yesterday.
Despite being a polling day, there were still over 73,000 punters at the Sha Tin Racecourse, but the betting turnover of the day dipped slightly from HK$1.73 billion last year to HK$1.69 billion.
Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said it was the best race day in recent years.
“If we look at the situation after Covid-19, after a good meeting last year, but today, Hong Kong racing has established again, on the global stage, and has shown what racing means,” he said.
He praised Golden Sixty’s performance in the HK$32 million group one Hong Kong Mile.
“I have very rarely seen a performance of a horse, eight-year-old, first time up, drawn gate 14, which is an absolutely brilliant ride. There was a lot of doubt how the horse would play out, it was a tactical masterpiece how the horse was positioned,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
“When the horse accelerated, you could hear the crowd cheering for the local champion, that was something… It was fantastic,” he added.
It was after the three-time Hong Kong horse of the year, Golden Sixty turned in his most dominating performance in his debut as an eight-year-old from the widest barrier in a full field of 14.
Golden Sixty was one of the first to break the line and jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu was able to get down into the three-wide line and had cover on the back of Japan’s Danon the Kid as Britain’s Tribalist led from Ireland’s California Spangle.
Going well approaching the lane, Golden Sixty switched off heels, quickly gobbled up the front-runners and broke clear.
Golden Sixty, winning a 10th Group one race and his 25th from 30 career starts, joins Good Ba Ba as three-time winners of the Mile.
“He’s a monster. When I asked him for an effort, he lengthened like I can’t believe – he’s still got that turn of foot. It’s crazy. It’s amazing. He never traveled keen with me, he was relaxed all of the way and then when I asked him for an effort, he just gave me 100 percent,” Ho said.
Lucky Sweynesse did not disappoint either, with the premier speedster leading home a local trifecta in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint over 1,200 meters.
The Zac Purton-ridden Lucky Sweynesse saw off runner-up Lucky With You and reigning Sprint champion Wellington to become the first horse to win Hong Kong’s four Group One sprints in the same calendar year.
“He deserved that. He’s been our best sprinter for the last year and he was able to atone for last year,” Purton said of Lucky Sweynesse.
Romantic Warrior made back-to-back wins in the richest race with victory in the HK$36 million Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), making it a trifecta of local winners. “I’m so proud of this horse. He’s the best horse,” jockey James McDonald said.
The win rounded off an enormous 2023 for Romantic Warrior that included victory in October’s Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) in Melbourne.
“He’s one of the toughest horses I’ve ever ridden, that’s what makes him so special. He’s so easy to ride and he’s got a heart as big as a lion,” McDonald said.
France earlier posted its first victory at the carnival since 2014 in the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m), with the familiar combination of Andre Fabre and Maxime Guyon delivering the goods with Junko.
michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com
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