Latest news with #GoldenSixty
The Standard
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Standard
The French 1,000 Guineas Call Was Correct. It Shows The Need For Global Standards
What's in a name? Why there's a new Beauty Generation but can't be another Golden Sixty
South China Morning Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Voyage Bubble can join elite group with Group One mile clean sweep
Ricky Yiu's stable star aims to emulate feats of Golden Sixty, Beauty Generation, Able Friend and Good Ba Ba in Champions Mile Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is adamant Voyage Bubble is on track to join an elite group of gallopers by clean sweeping Hong Kong's three Group One miles in a season when he tackles Sunday's Champions Mile. A brilliant winner of the Group One Hong Kong Mile and Group One Stewards' Cup in a stellar campaign, Voyage Bubble can join the likes of Golden Sixty (2020-21), Beauty Generation (2018-19), Able Friend (2014-15) and Good Ba Ba (2007-08) in dominating Hong Kong's top mile features. Yiu's stable star chases a fifth consecutive victory on Sunday, having also claimed the Group Two Jockey Club Mile first up and Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) last start in February. 'Voyage Bubble had a nice break and seems to still be a fresh horse,' Yiu said. CLASS PREVAILS! 🙌 Aiming to become the second horse to win Hong Kong's #TripleCrown after River Verdon in 1993/94, Voyage Bubble captures the second leg - @Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup - with @mcacajamez at Sha Tin... 🏆@WorldPool | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 23, 2025 'He had two barrier trials, one in Conghua and one in Hong Kong, and did both of them well and respectably. 'He just seems to keep improving, doesn't he? He's so relaxed and that makes him capable of running over the mile and further. It would not be surprising if he ran well over 2,400m – he's so relaxed.' Yiu isn't concerned by a wide draw in barrier 10, with the veteran handler hopeful superstar Kiwi jockey James McDonald can settle Voyage Bubble midfield and with cover. The six-year-old headlines an outstanding edition of the Champions Mile which also features nine-time Australian Group One winner Mr Brightside, fellow Australian Group One victor Royal Patronage, Japan's Gaia Force and other leading local hopes in Galaxy Patch and My Wish. 'I will leave [tactics] to the jockey – somewhere behind the main pace would be good,' Yiu said. 'Mr Brightside is a big contender. Of the local horses I like My Wish. His last few runs were phenomenal.' Voyage Bubble, who ran third to Beauty Eternal in last year's Champions Mile, could be set for another slice of history if he progresses to the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) next month. That would give him the chance to join the only winner of Hong Kong's Triple Crown in River Verdon, who won the Stewards' Cup, Gold Cup and Champions & Chater Cup in 1993-94. 'The way he shows us everything, we're pretty optimistic he'll handle the 2,400m in the Champions & Chater,' Yiu said. 'I would rather put him in over the mile [than Sunday's QE II Cup over 2,000m] – this is an easier task for him. He's had a quicker break and two months since his last start.' Yiu will also be hoping to cause another major upset in Sunday's Group One QE II Cup with Straight Arron, who is fresh from a shock victory in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m). The six-year-old defied his $34.5 quote to storm home from last and narrowly beat Galaxy Patch. 'Straight Arron surprised everyone last time, he's done very well since and he's a horse who is still full of beans,' Yiu said. 'He'll run well in the QE II.' Matthew Poon Ming-fai retains the ride on Straight Arron after celebrating his career-best success in the Chairman's Trophy. Straight Arron ran a distant 10th in last year's QE II Cup behind Romantic Warrior for trainer Caspar Fownes when he was checked at the 1,400m. He joined Yiu's stable at the end of last season.
South China Morning Post
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Record-breaking Romantic Warrior primed and ready to make more history at Meydan
It feels like he's done it all, but Hong Kong hero Romantic Warrior is primed and ready to make more history at Meydan on Saturday night. A red-hot favourite to become the city's first winner of the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m), Romantic Warrior can secure a Hong Kong record 11th elite-level success in the US$5 million (HK$39 million) contest, breaking his deadlock with the great Golden Sixty. Victory for Hong Kong's most decorated galloper would see him snare a fourth Group One triumph abroad and add around HK$22.5 million to his current world record HK$206,931,497 in career stakes. Ready to turn up the heat on Danny Shum Chap-shing's Romantic Warrior are not only reigning Dubai Turf champion Facteur Cheval, Godolphin's Nations Pride and star Japanese pair Soul Rush and Liberty Island, but also the scorching Dubai weather, with Saturday's meeting delayed an hour due to high temperatures. 'Obviously he copes with [the heat] pretty well, so that's no concern,' said jockey James McDonald. 'He certainly enjoys the firm surface we're likely to get on the hot day and he copes with everything pretty well. He's got round this track beautifully,' added McDonald in reference to Romantic Warrior's Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) victory in track-record time at Meydan in January. Since that Jebel Hatta blitz, Romantic Warrior produced one of the biggest efforts of his career when a heartbreaking second in the Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) on the dirt – something connections are confident he's fully recovered from. 'It's like he knows when the race is coming up – he's really sparked up since James jumped on his back for his turf gallop on Tuesday,' said equine physiotherapist Tom Simpson, who has worked with Romantic Warrior for much of his remarkable journey. Elsewhere on Dubai World Cup night, John Size will chase his first winner overseas at his 14th attempt when Howdeepisyourlove lines up in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) down the Meydan straight. Also to be ridden by McDonald, Howdeepisyourlove is a $3.2 favourite in fixed-odds markets and will look to join Joy And Fun (2010), Amber Sky (2014) and California Spangle (2024) as Hong Kong-trained winners of the race. 'I would love to win a race overseas. We just keep trying,' said 12-time Hong Kong champion trainer Size. Rounding out Hong Kong's Meydan assault is the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained Sword Point, who tackles the Group Two Godolphin Mile on the dirt. Like Size, Lor is hoping to taste success overseas for the first time and he is confident his all-weather specialist is ready to produce his best on the world stage. 'It's a great sign that he hasn't turned a hair since arriving even though this is his first time travelling to race overseas,' said Lor of Sword Point, who also has the services of star Kiwi McDonald. 'Some horses might be scared and some horses don't eat up well but he's doing well in every aspect. 'If he wins, it would be the best result. I think for every trainer sending a horse to race overseas, they would want to win, doing Hong Kong proud.' Elsewhere on a bumper World Cup card, the horse who humbled Romantic Warrior in the Saudi Cup – Forever Young – is a short favourite for the US$12 million Group One Dubai World Cup (2,000m) on dirt, while the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic (2,410m) is brimming with stars. Reigning Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) victor Rebel's Romance is among the leading hopes, but he is sure to face stiff competition from December's Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) champion Giavellotto and the likes of Calandagan, Shin Emperor and Danon Decile. The Jockey Club will simulcast seven races from Meydan on Saturday night, while during the day six races will be offered for betting from Randwick in Sydney, where Hong Kong-based jockeys Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni will chase Group One glory.
South China Morning Post
27-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
History on My Wish's side as he looks to snare more Classic Series glory
Seven of the past nine Classic Mile winners have gone on to taste further success in Hong Kong's prestigious four-year-old series and the Mark Newnham-trained My Wish will look to continue that trend, starting with this Sunday's Classic Cup (1,800m) at Sha Tin. A well-backed winner of last month's Classic Series opener, My Wish will look to join the likes of Sun Jewellery, Rapper Dragon, Golden Sixty and Helios Express in doing the Classic Mile-Classic Cup double. The highest-rated galloper in the field on 95, My Wish jumps from barrier nine under Luke Ferraris and his handler is quietly confident he has the tools to handle his first assignment at 1,800m. 'I've had confidence in him all season so there's no point backing down now,' Newnham said. Classy as! 👏 My Wish staves off challengers to capture the first #4YOSeries leg - the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile - with @LukeFerraris for Mark Newnham... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 31, 2025 'He was still strong late [in the Classic Mile]. He put himself in a winning position and once he got to the front he maintained it. He was still strong at the line. 'I think a fair chunk of the field are untested at that trip, including us, but the way he's relaxing now through his races, he's going to give himself every chance.' My Wish, who has four wins and two thirds to his name from six starts this season, looked to be maintaining his form with a nice trial third last week as Newnham sticks to a familiar formula. 'He's had exactly the same preparation pretty much all season. A month between runs and a trial in a between. I've been completely happy with him the whole way through,' Newnham said of his son of Flying Artie, who will find himself alongside the likes of Divano, Packing Angel, Packing Hermod and Rubylot near the top of the market this weekend. One galloper who isn't running in the Classic Cup but Newnham hopes isn't finished in the four-year-old series is Talents Ambition, who tackles the Class Three Yan Tin Handicap (2,000m). 'Hopefully that'll give him his chance to qualify for the Derby,' said Newnham of Talents Ambition, who was ninth in the Classic Mile and fourth reserve for the Classic Cup. 'He's a horse who has always suggested to me that he'll get over distance so it's a nice race to test him in. Blake Shinn is going to ride him and Blake rode my first ever winner as a trainer, so if he can do me a favour again this weekend I'd be more than happy.' Also among Newnham's hand is Ramadan, the Yulong-owned four-year-old who has taken a little while to settle into Hong Kong after being brought to the city with the Classic Series in mind. A long last behind the imperious Voyage Bubble in December's Group One Hong Kong Mile while under the care of James Ferguson, Ramadan has trialled three times since joining Newnham's stable. 'There's been no hurry with him,' Newnham said ahead of his charge's run in the Class Two Tai Hing Handicap (1,400m). 'I've been happy with his work the past couple of weeks and he trialled well. I galloped him on Tuesday morning and was happy with his work, so it was time to send him to the races.'
