Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
By Bren O'Brien
Australian-bred Golden Sixty (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) has swept Hong Kong's Classic Series for 4-year-olds, powering home to claim a thrilling win in the Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin.
Golden Sixty, trained by Francis Lui and ridden by Vincent Ho, looked in an impossible position back near last at the 600-metre mark, and when Blake Shinn swept clear on rank outsider Playa Del Puente (Ire) (Elzaam) at the top of the straight, his task looked a forlorn one.
But Ho got him to the very outside and while he spotted the runaway leader 4l at the 200-metre mark, Golden Sixty dug in late to charge and claim Playa Del Puente in the final few strides.
Ho said afterwards, he never lost faith in winning his first Derby on the short-priced favourite.
"I wasn't too worried. I know he has a really good turn of foot and he relaxed really well in the race. When I saw the winning post, I knew I would be able to get him," he said.
"It’s amazing. The horse is really fit. From 2000 metres, it is very difficult to come from behind and sprint home like. It's an amazing feeling to be able to win all four legs of the Classic."
His main rival in the market, More Than This (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), was left flat-footed when Shinn rounded the field on Play Del Puente before they turned for home, but was able to pick up and run third, albeit beaten a decent margin.
Golden Sixty now takes his record to 10 wins from 11 starts having won the Challenge Cup, Classic Mile and Classic Cup, as well as the Derby.
His only defeat to date came at his fourth start and he has dominated the 4-year-old season, winning the previous three legs of the Classic Series by clear margins.
On Sunday, he looked suited by the strong early pace set by Champion's Way (Hinchinbrook), but Ho did have him in a slightly awkward place when the speed dropped off after the midway point of the race.
It was full credit to Shinn for the bold ride, and he surged Playa Del Puente to the front at that point, and it looked a masterstroke when he had such a big margin on the rest of the field on the run in. But the superior horse won the day albeit by just a nose, becoming the first horse since Rapper Dragon (Street Boss {USA}) in 2017 to sweep the 4-year-old races.
Lui purchased Golden Sixty on behalf of Stanley Chan from the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for NZ$300,000, from Riversley Park, who sourced him out of the draft of his breeders at Element Hill at the 2017 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $120,000.
Golden Sixty as a yearling
Element Hill, through Josh Hutchins Bloodstock, purchased his dam, the Irish Group 2 and Listed winner Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humour {USA}) in foal to Medaglia D'Oro (USA) for $160,000 from the draft of Wood Park Farm.
The next year she produced a colt, Quiet Riot (Fastnet Rock), who sold for $200,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was recently a city maiden winner at Warwick Farm.
A Choisir colt, as yet unnamed, sold for $150,000 at last year's Gold Coast Sale to Matthew Dunn, while Gaudeamus then foaled a Capitalist filly last year before missing to Trapeze Artist.
