Golden Sixty primed for return

Francis Lui will unveil a healthy, strong and more mature Golden Sixty when the Hong Kong superstar resumes in the Gr.2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Unbeaten in three Sha Tin trials since spelling, Golden Sixty returns to competition for the first time since landing the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on 25 April, extending his winning streak to 14 races over the past two seasons.

Now a six-year-old, Golden Sixty continues to develop, according to Lui.

“He’s good, he’s healthy. He’s more relaxed as you can see even in his gallops,” Lui said.

“I think he’s getting more mature all the time. He’s very well. He’s good.”

Lui is looking towards the Gr.1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 12 December with the son of Medaglia d’Oro.

“We have this Sunday’s race and then the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and then we’ll see after that what we do,” he said.

The bay needs three more victories to match the 17-win Hong Kong record streak of Silent Witness.

Already a winner of four Group One contests, Golden Sixty impressed when winning a 1200m Sha Tin trial on 2 November, steaming from last early to sweep past the talented Packing Victory while clocking 1m 11.37s with a closing 400m sectional of 22.8s.

Golden Sixty was third-up when he won the Jockey Club Mile last season by a length and a half over Ka Ying Star, with Southern Legend – who is entered again this season – in third place. 

Champion’s Way, fifth last year, is also slated to contest Sunday’s edition.

With both Golden Sixty and Sky Darci entered, a clash of the past two Hong Kong Derby (2000m) victors adds a further dimension to a contest which also includes Waikuku, More Than This and Preciousship.

Golden Sixty was purchased out of Riversley Park’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft by his trainer for $300,000.

Collett looking forward to RTR Sale

Waikato horseman Jim Collett will head to his third successive New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale at Te Rapa on Wednesday and he is hoping his 100 percent sale rate continues at the Hamilton venue.

“The last two years I have taken horses to the ready to run sales and I have sold everything,” Collett said.

“I have dabbled a bit in years prior with one or two horses. I generally buy a couple of yearlings myself to develop and sell, generally fillies because they meet a domestic market.”

Collett has a six-strong draft for this year’s sale and he is expecting strong international interest for a number of his two-year-olds.

“I have got a really athletic Tivaci (lot 272) out of a race mare (Rosetti Bay) who won six races. He moves really well and is a nice horse, I expect him to sell quite well,” he said.

“I have a really nice Merchant Navy colt out of Maddie de Belle, he is more of a three-year-old type. He is a nice horse with good size and good strength.

“I have a couple of other quite nice horses there. I am more than happy with my draft.”

Collett will offer the only two juveniles in the sale by Coolmore stallion Merchant Navy, and he is expecting strong interest in both lots.

“They are client horses that were bought in Australia and brought back to New Zealand for this sale,” Collett said.

“It’s nice to have two by an exciting new sire who was a fast horse himself.”

Having sold at last year’s Ready To Run Sale, which also faced COVID-19 restrictions, Collett said this year’s sale has a similar feeling.

“It has a similar feel to last year and I think last year went really well, I think they sold really well,” he said.

“There is no doubt that there are horses out there who are going to be bought because overseas countries need them – they have permits to fill.

“I think quite a few will sell well.”

Tivaci filly impresses

A good-looking daughter of Tivaci remained unbeaten at the trials when she was successful over 850m at Foxton on Tuesday.

The Peter Didham-trained filly, who has yet to be named, bounced quickly to make the running and cruised home by one and a-quarter lengths with rider Robert Hannam sitting quietly.

“She’s not quite a two-year-old, but she is stunning. She’s dark and athletic, just a beautiful horse,” Didham said.

Successful at last month’s Foxton trials and at Woodville a fortnight ago, the filly is likely to debut in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham on November 4.

She is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Tick Tock, who is from the family of the Group One winners Legs, Xtravagant, Sixty Seconds and Guyno.