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| Rowan Anderson |
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When the gates fly open on Sunday for the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile the race will be Golden Sixty’s to lose.
With the superstar being given immense favouritism the market is offering a short $1.55 for the Medaglia D'Oro-Gaudeamus gelding to win his third straight Mile.
Vincent Ho returns to the saddle as he has for all of his Group One victories and will be guiding his mount on the way to an eighth at the highest level.
Out to try and spoil the party for the reigning Mile champion will be California Spangle who is next best in betting and has drawn gate two for the $30 million feature – in the third meeting between the two.
Trained by Tony Cruz he has won eight from 13 career starts including victories in the Group 2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy in October and The Group 3 Celebration Cup a month earlier.
Former Australian hoop Zac Purton will saddle California Spangle and be out to try and spoil the party for the reigning champion.
After beginning his racing career in Hong Kong during the 2007/2008 season Purton has gone on to conquer tracks there and prove himself including ending the 13-year championship reign of Douglas Whyte during the 2013/2014 season.
With 854 career wins as a jockey in Hong Kong, Purton sits third on the list behind Whyte (1,791) and Anthony S. "Tony" Cruz (946) and became the third jockey, after Gerald Mosse and Moreira, to have won all four of Hong Kong's December international races.
He continues to show that he can match it with his competition and onboard California Spangle almost beat Golden Sixty home to take the victory in the Group 2 Jockey Club Mile, but the Lui trained star showed his class running him down.
The only Australian-trained horse Laws of Indices is prepared by Annabel Neasham and is a Group 1 winner having taken out the Haras d’Etreham Prix Jean Prat at Deauville last year.
Having also won in group company in the Group 2 Gain Railway Stakes (2020) three weeks after breaking its maiden he is currently being offered at $26 to take out the Hong Kong Mile.
He has been given an outside alley and will be thrown in the deep end against a horse that not only is two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year but has a record of 22 wins from his 25 starts – seven of which have been at Group 1 level.
The clear advantage of the Warwick Farm based horse is having booked Australia’s best jockey in James McDonald who is always ready to prove the doubters’ taking wins in his wake.
McDonald has won 73 Group Ones in his career to date with 14 coming this year, five of which when partnered with Godolphin’s colt Anamoe.
The 30-year-old trusted hoop will be wanting to add to his impressive CV and having become a father for the first time recently with partner and former jockey Katelyn Mallyon he will be wanting to return home to the family with another major victory abroad.
By Rowan Anderson