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Hong Kong great ran last race on Sunday.

Zac Purton has paid tribute to Beauty Generation after the Hong Kong champion was retired following his defeat on Sunday.

The eight-year-old had to settle for fifth place in the Longines Hong Kong Mile behind the new kid on the block, Golden Sixty, who has assumed Beauty Generation's crown as the pre-eminent star of the Hong Kong scene.

Beauty Generation retires having won 18 races – including 10 in succession – and a total of eight Group Ones which helped him accrue over £10million in prize-money.

Purton, who rode Beauty Generation for the majority of his career with John Moore and latterly David Hayes, said: "Every jockey dreams of riding a horse like him and most don't get the chance – fortunately for me I did, and those years were amazing.

"It was a great feeling going to the races knowing I was on his back and just rolling him around was all it took to win – he was invincible there for a while.

"For me his best win was the 2018 Hong Kong Mile, it was a strong field, he drew wide, they made him work and he destroyed them."