Karaka Graduates Shine in HK and Singapore

Karaka graduates enjoyed a weekend of success in Asia with Golden Sixty spectacular in Hong Kong and Inferno capturing the Singapore Guineas. 

Exceptional Ready to Run Sale graduate Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro) picked up where he left off six months ago with a dominant first-up performance in Sunday’s HK$3.5 million Group Three Celebration Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin.

Bought for $300,000 from Riversley Park’s draft at the 2017 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Golden Sixty was one of Hong Kong’s standout performers last season. He became only the second horse in history to complete a clean sweep of Hong Kong’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

At Hong Kong’s 2019-20 Champion Awards, Golden Sixty was named Champion Four-Year-Old and also won the Most Popular Horse of the Year award, which is decided by public vote.

Sunday’s Celebration Cup was Golden Sixty’s first start since March, but he carried on in that same winning vein.

Ridden by Vincent Ho for trainer Francis Lui, the five-year-old emerged from midfield and exploded to the front in the straight. He dashed clear to win by a length and three-quarters, stopping the clock at a quick 1:20.54 for 1400 metres.

"It's very exciting to be back on him,” Ho said. “He felt really great and fresh today, and once I got a clear run, I knew he'd run them down.

"He had a good blow, and for sure he needed that. I think he was about 70% or maybe 75% fit, but after this he should go on. I think he's one of the best horses in Hong Kong at the moment.”

Golden Sixty has now had 12 starts for 11 wins, earning more than HK$33.4 million. That’s the equivalent of around NZ$6.6 million, which is 22 times his purchase price.

Sunday’s Celebration Cup produced a Karaka quinella, with champion galloper Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock) dead-heating for second. The $60,000 Select Sale purchase had won this race in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as part of an extraordinary 38-start, 20-win career that has earned him the equivalent of more than NZ$20 million in stakes.

Golden Sixty’s sparkling successes are part of a Ready to Run Sale roll of honour that is unmatched by any other Australasian two-year-old sale, and another quality catalogue of talented two-year-olds is set to go through the ring in 2020. This year’s Ready to Run Sale will be held at Karaka on Wednesday 18 & Thursday 19 November.

Singapore Guineas Success for Inferno

Karaka graduate Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) confirmed his status as a rising Singapore superstar with another dominant performance in Saturday’s S$400,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m) at Kranji.

Ridden by Vlad Duric for trainer Cliff Brown, the $140,000 Book 1 purchase over-raced in the early stages but soon settled into a smooth rhythm in fifth spot.

While other riders desperately urged their mounts for more in the straight, Inferno was cruising under a firm hold from Duric. He quickened and powered clear over the closing stages to score an emphatic victory by a length and a half.

“The horse was in such good condition,” Duric said. “Going to the start, he was fresh and bouncy. He gave me so much confidence that I wasn’t so worried about a bit of bad luck from barrier one.

“They did go very slow in the first 200 to 300 metres, but when Meryl (NZ) (Rock ‘n’ Pop) went forward, that really made the race for me. He dropped his head and relaxed. He was in the right spot, and he showed his class in the end.”

Bred by Westbury Stud and raced by the Barree Stable, Inferno has now had eight starts for seven wins, one placing and S$692,373 in stakes – more than five times his purchase price at Karaka.

The Singapore Guineas was Inferno’s fourth black-type victory, following on from the Golden Horseshoe (1200m), Saas Fee Stakes (1200m) and last month’s Singapore Classic (1400m).

“He was very impressive today,” Brown said. “Vlad didn’t have to do too much on him.

“He did over-race a touch in the first 400 metres, when they slowed up the pace, but Vlad did the right thing by popping him off the fence. We knew this could happen and we were always prepared for that. Once he went around the outside, I knew he couldn’t lose.”

The countdown is already underway for Karaka 2021, which will again showcase the very best New Zealand thoroughbreds. Book 1 will run across three days from Sunday 24 January, followed immediately by Book 2 from Wednesday 27 through to Friday 29 January.