Golden Sixty must overcome the widest draw of all in stall 14 if he is to reclaim his G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) crown on Sunday (10 December), in a turn of events which drew audible gasps from the assembled audience at Thursday morning’s (7 December) barrier allocation ceremony in Sha Tin’s iconic parade ring.
Golden Sixty won his first LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in 2020 from box seven of ten and 12 months later he followed up when peeling to the outer after an inside trip from stall two.
He failed to reel in California Spangle when drawn four in the 2022 edition and, in addition to attempting to win a third title on what will be his seasonal reappearance, Vincent Ho will now need to plot a path from out wide on the eight-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro.
“Of course, it’s not an ideal draw and it makes things difficult for Vincent,” said trainer Frances Lui. “Midfield with cover, of course (would be best). If you look at the field, I think California Spangle will lead and he will slow down the pace.
“Probably this race will be run at a slow pace. It’s going to be difficult.”
Asked how stall 14 changes the task for Hong Kong’s pre-eminent miler, Lui added: “I think I will leave it to the jockey. I think the horse knows what to do, he has run so many races, and it all depends on the situation.”