The record-breaking Hong Kong career of legendary Karaka graduate Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock) has earned yet another accolade, with the Champion Awards Judging Panel deciding to award him a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong racing.
Bought for just $60,000 by Hermes Syndications from Highden Park’s draft at the 2014 Select Sale, Beauty Generation was Group One-placed in Australia’s Rosehill Guineas (2000m) under his original name of Montaigne. However, his relocation to Hong Kong was when he really made his mark.
The champion gelding won 18 of his 34 starts in Hong Kong for HK$106,233,750 in stakes, making him the highest prizemoney earner in the history of Hong Kong racing. He amassed the equivalent of NZ$19.6 million, which is more than 326 times his purchase price at Karaka.
Beauty Generation was a two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year, and he is the only horse in history to be voted Hong Kong’s Champion Miler on three separate occasions. He earned a Longines World’s Best Racehorse rating of 127 in both 2018 and 2019, which is the equal highest ever for a Hong Kong horse, and he was named the world’s best specialist turf miler in both of those years.
He was retired in December of 2020 and is currently spending his days at retired racehorse facility Living Legends, in Victoria.
Beauty Generation will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Champion Awards 2020-21 ceremony on Tuesday July 13, where several other awards are also set to carry a Karaka flavour.
Superstar Ready to Run Sale graduate Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro) is the only nominee for Champion Miler, and he is also nominated for the Champion Middle-Distance Horse category. Bought for $300,000 at the 2017 Ready to Run Sale, he has won 17 of his 18 starts including all of the last 14 in a row – four of them at Group One level.
Golden Sixty’s only rival for Champion Middle-Distance Horse honours is Karaka 2018 graduate Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who also holds an additional nomination for Champion Four-Year-Old. The $160,000 purchase was a superb winner of the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March.
Meanwhile, undefeated Karaka 2019 graduate Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls) is among the nominees for Champion Sprinter. Bought for $150,000 at Karaka 2019, he has won all of his five starts to date including the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1200m).
