Staff Writer |
Golden Sixty’s once again secured consecutive Horse of the Year titles on the back of his record-breaking performance during the 2021/22 racing season at a special presentation held at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Happy Valley Clubhouse.
The Francis Lui-trained won the Gr.2 Jockey Club Mile, Gr.2 Chairman's Trophy, Gr.1 Stewards' Cup in 2022 preceded by his successful defence of his Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile crown – a result which saw him earn recognition as the world’s joint-top miler at the year-end World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
The 6YO also secured the bulk of the public vote as Hong Kong’s Most Popular Horse for the third year.
Though he suffered a pair of rare defeats in his following two outings as he failed to reach Silent Witness’ record of 17 consecutive wins in Hong Kong, he soon recaptured his winning groove in the Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) before closing the season in emphatic style by landing the Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) – the 21st win of his career and second win in the race in as many years.
Victory on FWD Champions Day saw Golden Sixty overtake Beauty Generation as Hong Kong’s highest prize money earner in history with stakes of HK$113,400,600.
Last term, Golden Sixty became the fourth horse in Hong Kong racing history after Good Ba Ba, Able Friend, and Beauty Generation to win the Horse of the Year title in the same season as both the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and FWD Champions Mile, however, like Beauty Generation, Golden Sixty does so for the second consecutive year.
Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior made history this season as the first graduate of the Hong Kong International Sale to snare the HK$24 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) with a dramatic victory over California Spangle.
The son of Acclamation then took it up a notch when he thrashed a group of older rivals in the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) to join Werther (2016), Designs On Rome (2014), Ambitious Dragon (2011) and Vengeance Of Rain (2005) as victors of the Hong Kong Derby-QEII Cup double in the same season.
The All Too Hard speedster boasts earnings of HK$40,056,190 and an impressive record in Hong Kong with 10 wins and one second from 16 starts since January 2020.