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Kiwi sourced horses feature in Hong Kong awards;No Singapore return for Collett; Shalwa looking to bow out in style
Kiwi sourced horses feature in Hong Kong awards
Golden Sixty was crowned Four-Year-Old Champion at the Hong Kong Horse of the Year Awards on Thursday.
The Francis Lui-trained galloper became only the second horse after Rapper Dragon to win all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, including the Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
The Medaglia d'Oro gelding, who was purchased for $300,000 by Lui out of Riversley Park's draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run 2YO Sale, went through the season unbeaten with seven wins.
Golden Sixty, who trialled in New Zealand on a number of occasions for Graham Richardson before his export to Hong Kong, also secured the bulk of the public vote to claim the Most Popular Horse title.
Dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation was named Champion Miler for a remarkable third season in a row. The Road To Rock seven-year-old remained a significant force at the highest level, and completed a hat-trick of wins in the Gr.1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Bred by Nearco Stud, Beauty Generation was sold through Highden Park as a yearling at Karaka for $60,000 and has amassed in excess of HK$100 million in prizemoney.
Beat The Clock, also a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run sale, where he fetched $200,000 from Prima Park's draft, was named the season's Champion Sprinter for the second year.
The John Size-trained six-year-old was a dual Group One victor this term, claiming the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), a race he also won in the 2018/19 season.
Good Luck Friend was named the season's Champion Griffin after securing four wins from six starts. The Ricky Yiu-trained three-year-old son of Swiss Ace achieved his career highlight to date in a Class 3 1200m at Sha Tin, defeating seasoned gallopers to achieve a rating of 85.
Yiu, who was Hong Kong's Champion trainer this season, purchased Good Luck Friend for $90,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale from the draft of Westbury Stud.
The Jimmy Ting-trained Amazing Star was named the season's Most Improved Horse. The son of Darci Brahma started the campaign on a rating of 58 and rocketed 42 points to a mark of 100 after four wins in just six starts.
New Zealand domiciled stallions Savabeel (2nd), Darci Brahma (3rd) and Per Incanto (7th) were all top-10 on the leading sires table by winners in Hong Kong.
No Singapore return for Collett
Alysha Collett will not return to Singapore this year.
Licensed until the end of the year Collett, as well as Michael Rodd and Patrick Moloney, recently informed the Singapore Turf Club they were relinquishing their visiting jockeys' licences. The Club has subsequently cancelled their licences with immediate effect.
Collett has indicated she will base herself in Sydney after travelling there when racing was ceased in Singapore due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The common push factor for the trio's departure was the suspension of Singapore racing due to the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker on April 7, which they said had cast their riding careers and financial situations into uncertainty.
Shalwa looking to bow out in style
Trainer Tony Gollan might need to hold a farewell party to go with any celebrations if one of his four mares can win the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m).
Gollan has accepted with New Zealand-bred mare Shalwa, as well as Twitchy Frank, Solar Star and Amicita in the Ipswich feature.
Shalwa, Twitchy Frank and Solar Star are listed to go under the hammer on the Gold Coast next week.
"At this stage the four mares running on Saturday will be off to the sales next week," Gollan said.
"Combined with the others who have gone it has put a bit of a hole in the stable.
Gollan said Shalwa would have to overcome a wide barrier on Saturday.
"She is a black-type winner and has been very good since we took blinkers off her earlier this year," he said.
A daughter of the late O'Reilly, Shalwa has seven wins to her credit and more than A$300,000 in earnings.
