Ready to Run Sale Graduate Stars in Hong Kong Classic Mile

Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro), a $300,000 purchase at the 2017 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, showed superstar quality in winning Monday’s HK$10 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) with a dominant performance at Sha Tin.

Golden Sixty has confirmed his place at the top of this season’s four-year-old generation, and he has won eight of his nine starts and more than HK$14.3 million in stakes – the equivalent of NZ$2.8 million, which is almost 10 times his purchase price.

After sitting in seventh place in the nine-horse field, Golden Sixty moved to the outside in the straight and produced a scintillating finishing burst, charging to the lead and racing to victory by a length and a quarter.

“He was a bit keen today and he took some time to settle, but he still showed a good turn of foot,” rider Vincent Ho said. “He lay in a little bit, which made things a little bit harder, but he still won very easily.

“It’s just a matter of time for him, to pick him up, and I just have to be patient on him and then he will give me everything he has.”

Trainer Francis Lui is now likely to point Golden Sixty towards the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 22.

“It’s a kind of relief – I was a little nervous, and the closer we got to the race, the more nervous I felt,” Lui said.

“Golden Sixty has done what has been asked of him every time. Last race he went 1400 metres, this race was a mile and next time will be 1800 metres in the Hong Kong Classic Cup, so we will take it step by step. If he runs well in the Classic Cup, we will go to the Derby.”