These are momentous times in Hong Kong racing with history of the highest magnitude on the cusp on Sunday at Sha Tin where Golden Sixty has the opportunity to stand on equal footing with Silent Witness for the most consecutive wins in Hong Kong.
Regardless of what unfolds in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) tomorrow, Golden Sixty and Silent Witness share a rarified place in Hong Kong racing reserved for only the greatest champions. To string together 17 successive victories – as Silent Witness did across three seasons between 2002 and 2005 and what Golden Sixty is bidding to match tomorrow – in one of the sport’s most challenging jurisdictions is truly outstanding.
The bare statistics of sustained excellence aside, both of these amazing horses are united on another front as beacons of positivity during times of global health challenges. Silent Witness was a welcome distraction during the SARS epidemic in 2003 as he developed into the world’s best sprinter under Tony Cruz and Felix Coetzee.
Similarly, Golden Sixty has filled our incredible city with enormous pride during the COVID-19 pandemic with his emergence as one of the world’s premier milers and middle-distance gallopers under Francis Lui and Vincent Ho.
The other shared trait is the fact both horses have competed against, and beaten, the world’s best at international Group 1 level.
Sadly, because of the fact we are now operating under closed-door mode amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant, Hong Kong’s passionate racing community will not be on course this weekend as Golden Sixty pursues history.
Whatever happens, Golden Sixty – like Silent Witness – has been a wonderful advertisement for Hong Kong racing; both are to be treasured.
Their feats are of the rarest ilk and, inevitably, comparisons have been drawn over the pair’s careers. I think we all agree comparisons are dangerous and often futile, just as they are in other sports.
The fact is Silent Witness and Golden Sixty are not only champions of their respective generations but also all-time champions and we should feel privileged to have experienced their brilliance and achievements.
Before we get to the Stewards’ Cup, we have the Centenary Sprint Cup as the first of our two Group 1 races at Sha Tin and it will be run as the third race over 1200 metres. Master Eight steps up in class and trip off his Group 3 win in the Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m) to put his unbeaten record on the line, Sky Field makes his return off his win in the Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and Group 1 winners Wellington and Hot King Prawn also take their place as we begin to make the transition to the second half of the season. This season’s battle for Champion Sprinter will be interesting.
The pace of the race will be good with Computer Patch the likely leader under Matthew Poon with pressure from Courier Wonder and his regular rider Joao Moreira. I expect they will move along at something just below a good tempo. Matthew Chadwick may have no choice but to use Master Eight’s speed from the outside gate to go forward and join the leaders to avoid being caught wide.
Courier Wonder was perfect in his first five starts but has failed to land a blow in three starts this season. The pace scenario here will give him every opportunity as he can relax outside Computer Patch and then take over turning into the straight. He is a place chance.
Sky Field will go back from his inside draw with Blake Shinn and he will finish the race off strongly as a win and a place chance. He has developed into a top-quality Group 1 sprinter and comes into the race in top form.
Wellington has the benefit of a good draw after being forced to go back from a wide draw in the Hong Kong Sprint, a race that did not permit him to show his best. Regular rider Alexis Badel will have Wellington about midfield and I expect a much-improved effort. I make him a place chance along with Master Eight.
The main attraction is Golden Sixty heading a select field in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup, which is carded as the seventh race over the distance of one mile. Golden Sixty’s trackwork has been impressive. On Tuesday morning, he closed off his gallop with a 22.6s final 400m sectional. Golden Sixty will be ridden patiently by Vincent Ho to follow the winning script. Vincent will call on Golden Sixty and will move him to the outside turning into the straight to deliver his big closing sectional. He is, of course, a win and place chance.
The pace will be set by Healthy Happy with Alexis Badel with token pressure from dirt specialist Kings Shield and Harry Bentley. The pace will pick up with each section and will be slow in the early stages.
More Than This is an obvious threat after his good finish in the Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. Jockey Derek Leung may attempt to follow Golden Sixty and he will be making ground as a place chance. Russian Emperor ran a big race in the Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and is another horse in the small field that will be doing his best running over the concluding stages. This is not his best trip but his last race points him out as a place chance.
Comment
