Rising HK Star for Medaglia D’Oro

Tara Madgwick - Thursday January 2

The Group III Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day was won in commanding style by exciting gelding Golden Sixty, an Aussie bred son of Darley’s champion sire Medaglia D’Oro (USA), whose last crop of Southern Hemisphere bred yearlings will be a highlight at MM 2020.

Golden Sixty has won seven of eight starts - image HKJCGolden Sixty dominated the New Year’s Day feature to cement his status as a chief protagonist for this season’s three-race Four-Year-old Classic Series. The first test, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, is less than four weeks away.

“The mile will definitely be in his scope, he’s ready,” jockey Vincent Ho said after his mount drew two lengths clear of seven smart rivals to take the spoils in a time of 1m 20.70s.

“He travelled beautifully, he wasn’t pulling – he was genuine. When I pulled him out he showed a great turn-of-foot and won easily. He tries extremely hard, it’s been a case of getting his mind right; he’s still a bit hot, a bit toey, but he’s more relaxed in his races now.”

Golden Sixty not only took his career haul to seven wins from eight starts – all at 1200m and 1400m – but also became the first horse in Hong Kong to win four races this term.

Trainer Francis Lui has two of the top candidates for Hong Kong Classic Mile glory with Golden Sixty’s stablemate More Than This unbeaten in three runs this campaign.

Element Hill bred and sold Golden Sixty as a yearling “Both horses will go to the Classic Mile and More Than this will also go to the Hong Kong Derby,” Lui confirmed. “I have no preference for one over the other; I think they can both go to the Classic Mile without any problem.”

Golden Sixty was a $300,000 NZB Ready to Run Sale purchase for his trainer from the Riversley Park draft and was a super successful pinhook having been sourced from the Element Hill draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $120,000.  Click here to see Element Hill yearlings for MM 2020.

Golden Sixty is the best of four winners from US bred Irish Group III winner Gaudeamus (USA), a Distorted Humor mare from the family of Group I stars Bosra Sham and Hector Protector.

Gaudeamus has a filly foal by Capitalist and was covered last year by Trapeze Artist.

Golden Sixty is the 138th stakes-winner worldwide for Medaglia D’Oro, who has 20 entries for Magic Millions 2020, click here to see them.


 

Advertisment

Race Result - The Chinese Club Challenge Cup Gr3 1400m

Sha Tin Track: Good Time: 1:20.70
1
Golden Sixty
- 4g Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humor (USA))
Tnr: K W Lui Rdr: C Y Ho 52.5
2
2.0
Fat Turtle
- 5g Smart Missile (AUS) x Pilya (USA) (Gulch (USA))
Tnr: F C Lor Rdr: A Badel 53
Smart Missile
3
2.5
Champion's Way
- 4g Hinchinbrook (AUS) x Greta's Yarn (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: J Moreira 54.5
Hinchinbrook
4
4.0
Encouraging
- 6g Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Miss Marielle (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: J Moore Rdr: S De Sousa 55
5
4.3
Ka Ying Star
- 5g Cityscape (GB) x Casual Glance (GB) (Sinndar (IRE))
Tnr: A S Cruz Rdr: K Teetan 58.5
6
5.8
Good Standing
- 6g Artie Schiller (USA) x Elahi (AUS) (Giant's Causeway (USA))
Tnr: J Moore Rdr: Grant Van Niekerk 54.5
7
6.5
Seasons Bloom
- 7g Captain Sonador (AUS) x Pyramisa's Lass (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: C S Shum Rdr: Z Purton 60.5
8
14.0
Northern Superstar
- 6g Count Dubois (GB) x Pagan Dance (SAF) (Jet Master (SAF))
Tnr: A T Millard Rdr: M F Poon 56
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 1
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.
Inglis Ready2Race breeze up footage NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Progeny of the likes of Toronado, Exceed and Excel, Harry Angel, Zoustar and Ole Kirk were amongst the standout performers from breeze up sessions conducted this week in the lead up to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale on October 16, footage of which is now available online.
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.
Kiwi Raider Pier Upbeat Ahead of Epsom
Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass half full approach ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.