Beauty Generation (NZ) Gallant in Defeat

Media Release - Monday April 27

New Zealand-bred miler Beauty Generation has been beaten the barest of margins in his attempt to land his third straight Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m), foiled by fellow veteran Southern Legend.

Beauty Generation in pink and black - image HKJC The Caspar Fownes-trained Southern Legend was ridden by Vincent Ho, who racked up 44 wins as a young rider in New Zealand under the tutelage of leading trainer Lance O'Sullivan.

The victory was the first Group One win for Ho, who last month won the HK$20 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on star four-year-old Golden Sixty, winner of all three legs of the Classic series which are not afforded Group One status due to the trio of races not being open to international competitors.

Ho took the race to champion jockey Zac Purton and dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation with 300m to run as the rising star of the jockeys’ room drove his mount from off the pace to take a narrow lead over the superstar pairing.

Southern Legend and Beauty Generation flashed past the post together and the former had it by a short-head in a time of 1m 33.13s.

“It’s amazing,” a jubilant Ho said.

“There are no spectators here but it's a Group One. I’ve been working really hard for it and hopefully there are plenty more to come.”

While Zac Purton was disappointed with the outcome he was appreciative of Beauty Generation’s brave effort.

“He ran well, he tried his hardest,” he said.

Trainer John Moore, too, was deflated by the defeat of his star, who might have run his last race in Hong Kong.

Advertisement

“We were gallant in defeat,” he said. “The bob just went against him. If he’d got the head down we’d have won. It could have gone the other way, it just wasn’t our day.

“He’s beaten the rest by two and three quarter lengths and they’ve run a pretty good time so it’s a pity he can't go out on that but you’ve got to live with it.”

Plans have yet to be made for Beauty Generation’s future, with Moore set to retire from Hong Kong racing at the end of the season and relocate his operation to Rosehill in Sydney.

“I’d like to take him back for a mile race in Australia and then have him stay there at the Living Legends Farm. That’s what I’d like to do but what the Kwok family wants to do is what counts, I don’t know whether they’ll keep racing him or retire him.”

Purton became the first rider to win all of Hong Kong’s Group One races when he took the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) on Exultant.

Earlier on the card, Mr Stunning turned back the clock with a shock win for trainer Frankie Lor and jockey Karis Teetan in the Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), the third Group One win of his career.

Like Beauty Generation, Mr Stunning is a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales, purchased by Willie Leung of Magus Equine for $250,000 at Karaka in 2014 from the draft of Mark and Shelley Treweek’s Lyndhurst Farm. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
Divine Prophet’s Fortunate Kiss Captures Elusive Black Type Win
With nine top five finishes in previous black type races, it was better late than never as 6yo Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss charged along the inside to win the $300,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday – her first black type victory.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 5
Here is the full list of 112 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 3
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Buccleuch - First Stakes-Winner for Peltzer
The $175,000 Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was won back in 2020 by Cherry Tortoni, who went to on to become a multiple Group winner of nearly $1million and the same colours were carried by this year’s winner Buccleuch.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!