Longines Hong Kong Mile
Hong Kong | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Longines Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the milers at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
It is run as part of the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) meeting run in December each year.
The Longines Hong Kong Mile is run over 1600m. It was first run in 1991 and was won by Additional Risk.
The first runnings were as the International Bowl and run over the 1400m.
It was a Group 3 in 1994 then Group 2 before it became a Group 1 from 1999 when stepped up to the mile.
Most wins by a Trainer (4): John Moore, Tony Cruz.
Most wins by a Jockey (4): Zac Purton.
Good Ba Ba won three straight Longines Hong Kong Miles while Golden Sixty also scored three times while Monopolize from Australia scored twice.
Australian horses won three in a row from 1995/1996/1997. After Monopolize, Catalan Opening swept home for legends Darren Beadman and Bart Cummings.
One of the great editions was in 2000. Dual Cox Plate winner Sunline took on the local champ Fairy King Prawn and they cleared out for a soul stirring battle as the "horse of Hong Kong came after the mare of the world".
Beauty Generation won multiple G1s following his 2017 victory and backed it up in 2018. He was one of Hong Kong's four home trained winners on International Day 2018. Becoming one of the best rated horses in the world, he would win a string of local G1 races.
Admire Mars from Japan won as a 3yo in 2019 – the first of that generation in 16 years. He was one of Japan's three HKIR winners on the day.
Golden Sixty confirmed his superb local record making it back to back wins in 2021 and taking his 19th victory in Hong Kong setting the local record with 16 of them on the trot. He tried again in 2022 but couldn't run down California Spangle. He got back to winning ways in 2023.
The Longines Hong Kong Mile was worth HK$32m in 2023.
Notable winners of the Longines Hong Kong Mile include California Spangle (2022), Golden Sixty (2020/2021/2023), Admire Mars (2019), Beauty Generation (2017/2018), Maurice (2015), Able Friend (2014), Ambitious Dragon (2012), Able One (2011), Good Ba Ba (2007/2008/2009), Lucky Owners (2003), Sunline (2000), Jim And Tonic (1998), Catalan Opening (1997) and Monopolize (1995/1996).
The 2023 Longines Hong Kong Mile was won by Golden Sixty from Voyage Bubble and Namur.
Previous Longines Hong Kong Mile Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS) 8G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) | C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 14 | |
| CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (IRE) 4G STARSPANGLEDBANNER (AUS) - PEARLITAS PASSION (IRE) HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) | Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 2 | |
| GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS) 6G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) | C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 2 | |
| GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS) 5G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) | C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 7 | |
| ADMIRE MARS (JPN) 3C DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) - VIA MEDICI (IRE) MEDICEAN (GB) | C SOUMILLON | 56.5 | Y TOMOMICHI | 4 | |
| BEAUTY GENERATION (NZ) 6G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) | Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 12 | |
| BEAUTY GENERATION (NZ) 5G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) | D LEUNG | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 9 | |
| BEAUTY ONLY (IRE) 5G HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - GOLDENDALE (IRE) ALI-ROYAL (IRE) | Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 13 | |
| MAURICE (JPN) 4H SCREEN HERO (JPN) - MEJIRO FRANCES (JPN) CARNEGIE (IRE) | RYAN MOORE | 57.0 | N HORI | 11 | |
| ABLE FRIEND (AUS) 5G SHAMARDAL (USA) - PONTE PICCOLO (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) | JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 11 | |
| GLORIOUS DAYS (AUS) 6G HUSSONET (USA) - SAN CENTURY (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) | D WHYTE | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 13 | |
| AMBITIOUS DRAGON (NZ) 6G PINS (AUS) - GOLDEN GAMBLE (NZ) OREGON (USA) | Z PURTON | 57.0 | A T MILLARD | 11 | |
| ABLE ONE (NZ) 9G CAPE CROSS (IRE) - GARDENIA (NZ) DANEHILL (USA) | J LLOYD | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 7 | |
| BEAUTY FLASH (NZ) 5G GOLAN (IRE) - WYCHWOOD ROSE (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) | G MOSSE | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 14 | |
| GOOD BA BA (USA) 7G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) | O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | D CRUZ | 9 | |
| GOOD BA BA (USA) 6G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) | C SOUMILLON | 58.0 | ANDREAS SCHUTZ | 7 | |
| GOOD BA BA (USA) 5G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) | O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | ANDREAS SCHUTZ | 6 | |
| THE DUKE (AUS) 7G DANEHILL (USA) - MER DU SUD (IRE) BLUEBIRD (USA) | O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | C FOWNES | 4 | |
| HAT TRICK (JPN) 4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - TRICKY CODE (USA) LOST CODE (USA) | O PESLIER | 58.0 | KATSUHIKO SUMII | 10 | |
| FIREBREAK (GB) 5H CHARNWOOD FOREST (IRE) - BREAKAWAY (GB) SONG (GB) | LANFRANCO DETTORI | 58.0 | 3 | ||
| LUCKY OWNERS (NZ) 4H - MISS PRIORITY (NZ) | F COETZEE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 7 | |
| OLYMPIC EXPRESS (GB) 4G - | WEICHONG MARWING | 58.0 | I W ALLAN | 10 | |
| SUNLINE (NZ) 5M DESERT SUN (GB) - SONGLINE (NZ) WESTERN SYMPHONY (USA) | G CHILDS | 56.0 | TREVOR MCKEE | 9 |
Related News
Top grade international milers take out the FWD Champions Mile run at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Bidding to thwart Golden Sixty’s quest for a fourth HK$22 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on 28 April, Voyage Bubble and Beauty Eternal limbered up for their clash with the Hong Kong’s champion with solid barrier trials at Sha Tin on Thursday (18 April).
Brenton Avdulla has a perfect record aboard California Spangle and the in-form Australian will be hoping it stays that way when the pair takes aim at the HK$22 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, 28 April.
Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and California Spangle headline Hong Kong’s selected runners for FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on 28 April when the decorated trio faces an imposing international contingent from Japan and Great Britain spearheaded by fellow Group 1 winners Dubai Honour, Mad Cool and Champagne Color.
Golden Sixty took a crucial step towards his planned return in the HK$22 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) with a routine barrier trial this morning (Tuesday, 2 April).
California Spangle has charged to record-breaking victory in the HK$11.7 million G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m), defeating a world-class field to provide Tony Cruz and Brenton Avdulla with career highlights at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday (30 March).
Caspar Fownes is hopeful Straight Arron can prove his wares against elite opposition, including Voyage Bubble, in the HK$39 million G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan on Saturday night (30 March) despite drawing barrier 12.
After 10 previous runs in Group races both in Singapore and Hong Kong, Lim’s Kosciuszko did not fail to make a winning return first-up in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race (1200m) on Saturday.
The biggest equine draw card in Singapore, Lim’s Kosciuszko, makes a welcome return to racing this Saturday as the son of Kermadec headlines the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on the Polytrack.
There were outstanding winners in recent years of the BMW Hong Kong Derby run at Sha Tin on Sunday.
