Sparkling Return for Aust bred HK Champion Golden Sixty

Tara Madgwick - Monday November 21

Aussie bred Golden Sixty made a sparkling return to racing at Sha Tin on Sunday racking up the 22nd victory of his decorated 25-start career and third straight HK$5 million Group II BOCHK Private Health Jockey Club Mile (1600m) success.

Golden Sixty is on track for the HK International meeting in December - image HKJC

It was hard fought victory. Neck and neck over the concluding stages with California Spangle, jockey Vincent Ho asked Golden Sixty to lift and he responded accordingly, overhauling his brave, youthful adversary by a neck as 1/1 second favourite in 1m 34.02s.

Enhancing the merit of his win, Golden Sixty clocked 21.32s for his final 400m after California Spangle set a crawling tempo throughout under jockey Zac Purton.

 

&ldq

Advertisement
uo;I knew Golden Sixty would have the heart to run him down but he’s only 80 percent fit, so the last bit is his mental toughness. Definitely all credit to him and the team – we’re looking forward to December now.

“It was crawling at first and the turn I knew, around the 600 (metre mark), that Zac (Purton) will pick up the pace for sure, so I was just keeping an eye on what he was doing and I had to come out and make my move earlier,” Ho said.

Tony Cruz was full of praise for Irish bred Starspangledbanner gelding California Spangle who – while still only a four-year-old – has now registered two second placings to the six-time Group 1-winning Golden Sixty.

“I believe this horse still can improve. He’s fit and sound and we’ll fight another day,” Cruz said.

Enhancing his all-time earnings to HK$116,250,600 (a Hong Kong record), Golden Sixty will be now plotted towards winning a third successive HK$30 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at next month’s 2022 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on Sunday, 11 December.

“Same like before, he has a very good fighting heart. When he came close to the frontrunner, he really wanted to pass him.

“Zac is a good jockey and he knows how to manage the pace, but I think Vincent also knows Golden Sixty very well, he knows how to ride this horse,” trainer Francis Lui said.

Golden Sixty as a yearling

By champion sire Medaglia D’Oro (USA), Golden Sixty was a $300,000 NZB Ready to Run Sale purchase for his trainer from the Riversley Park draft and was a super successful pinhook having been sourced from the Element Hill draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $120,000.

Golden Sixty is a half-brother to stakes-placed Rainbow Connection and Igitur being the best of six winners from US bred Irish Group III winner Gaudeamus (USA), a Distorted Humor mare from the family of Group I stars Bosra Sham and Hector Protector.

Gaudeamus has a yearling filly by Vancouver and was covered last spring by Wootton Bassett (GB).
 

Advertisment

Race Result - Bochk Private Wealth Jc Mile Gr2 1600m

Sha Tin Track: Good Time: 1:34.02
1
Golden Sixty
- 7g Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humor (USA))
Tnr: K W Lui Rdr: C Y Ho 58
2
0.3
California Spangle
- 5g Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Pearlitas Passion (IRE) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: A S Cruz Rdr: Z Purton 56
Starspangledbanner
3
2.8
Waikuku
- 8g Harbour Watch (IRE) x London Plane (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: S De Sousa 58
4
5.0
More Than This
- 7g Dutch Art (GB) x Striving (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: C S Shum Rdr: K C Leung 56
5
5.8
Excellent Proposal
- 6g Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Procrastination (GB) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: A Badel 56
6
5.9
Turin Redsun
- 5g Dubawi (IRE) x Irish Rookie (IRE) (Azamour (IRE))
Tnr: D Whyte Rdr: Lyle Hewitson 56
7
13.3
Kings Shield
- 8g Scat Daddy (USA) x Gender Dance (USA) (Miesque's Son (USA))
Tnr: F C Lor Rdr: Luke Ferraris 56
More Reading...
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22 - Brave Smash Winning Double
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The Yearlings You Know You Want to See!
A flood of yearling images uploaded to the Magic Millions website ahead of the Christmas break have brought the first major Australian sale of 2025 to life in an online sense and for those who have not been visiting the farms in the lead up to the sale it’s a great chance to get a look at some of the superstar yearlings.
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
Sires With Winners - Friday December 20
Here is the full list of 71 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Brave Smash Winning Double Hong Kong
The Sha Tin meeting on Sunday produced some great  results for the Yarraman sires with Brave Smash (Jpn) posting a winning double and Hellbent siring a promising new three year-old winner.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
A busy set of trials at Rosehill on Monday morning featured four heats for juveniles and the winners were all unraced youngsters by Tassort, Too Darn Hot (GB), Super Seth and Golden Slipper winner Farnan, while a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt showed he could possibly still get to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Vale, Don Goodwin
Don Goodwin, the breeder of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, has passed away, aged 86.
Josh Herd awarded 2025 Sunline Trust Scholarship
Manawatu’s Josh Herd has been announced as the 2025 recipient of the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship.
2024 Favourite Foal Winner
Firstly we’d like to thank everyone for taking an interest in our foal gallery and supporting their favourites, but there was always a sentimental top pick for many and the most famous foal in the country has now won his first race!
Little Brose to Stand at Little Avondale
Arguably there is no better stallion making race in Australasia than Victoria's only Gr.1 event for two-year-olds, the Blue Diamond Stakes, and when you add the hottest bloodline in the Southern Hemisphere to the mix, you have an exciting stallion prospect.