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Golden Sixty primed for Hong Kong Mile defence; Flemington back-up for Ranting
Golden Sixty primed for Hong Kong Mile defence
Golden Sixty impressed trainer Francis Lui with a strong hit out on the turf on Tuesday morning ahead of his title defence in Sunday's HK$26 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
If successful, the son of Medaglia d'Oro will extend his winning sequence of 16 by capturing his 19th career win in Hong Kong - a local record that would surpass the 18-win record currently shared with Silent Witness and fellow New Zealand-sourced galloper Beauty Generation.
"He's good - Vincent (Ho, jockey) was happy with him - he's ready," Lui said after watching his charge work on Tuesday.
"I just asked Vincent to roll him into it, let him work into it and he did it with a partner horse. He will gallop again on Friday and it'll just be similar again."
Standing in Golden Sixty's way this weekend is the might of Japan - a quartet from the Land of the Rising Sun spearheaded by Danon Kingly - this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) winner.
Joining him is Salios - a two-time runner-up to the exceptional Contrail (Japan's eighth Triple Crown winner), Indy Champ - a two-time G1 winner as well as Vin de Garde who placed at the top-level behind Lord North in Dubai earlier this year.
Golden Sixty was purchased out of Riversley Park's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run draft for $300,000 and his incredible career has encompassed earnings of HK$80.633 million, 18 wins from 19 starts, four Group One wins, 2020 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) glory, a trio of Group Two triumphs and two Group Three wins.
Flemington back-up for Ranting
Trainers Leon and Troy Corstens are hoping Ranting can break his winless drought when he lines-up in the Des Gleeson Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday following his placing at Pakenham last weekend.
The Kiwi-bred four-year-old hasn't appeared in the winner's stall since the Gr.3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last year, although he has placed on three occasions, including his last two starts.
Corstens' assistant trainer Dom Sutton is hoping some tinkering might give connections the result they are hoping for this weekend.
"Speaking to Troy, we are going to have a look at Saturday up to 1400m with him and try a few things different," Sutton told Racing.com.
"He has been frustrating, obviously he won a Blue Sapphire as a three-year-old and beat two horses that are now standing at stud, so you've got that idea where he should be at but unfortunately he hasn't quite reached the heights of what we wanted.
"In saying that, he's a lovely horse and hopefully we can get another win on the board."
Ranting has only once contested a 1400m race, finishing eighth, and has similar experience backing up.
"He was on the 10-day back-up from Moonee Valley to Flemington down the straight, which he didn't handle, whether that was the straight or the back-up, we're not sure and Craig Williams said that day his mind just wasn't on the job, so we are hoping he can go better this time," Sutton said.
Ranting will back-up from finishing third at Pakenham last Saturday over 1200m, when blinkers were applied for the first time.
"It was a pass mark," Sutton said. "A little bit disappointed he didn't run into second, he had every chance to pinch a couple of lengths off the winner but was caught late.
"Up until then Jamie (Kah, jockey) said he felt super and gave a good kick but probably just had a little think about things that last 50m and that's why we want to change things up."
