There was drama in the HK$30 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile with the odds-on favourite and Hong Kong Champion, Golden Sixty, who was looking to record a hat trick in the race, being defeated by California Spangle trained by Tony Cruz and ridden superbly by Zac Purton.
The finish of the race was almost an action replay of the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) race where Golden Sixty ran down California Spangle in the final stride … almost … but, on this occasion, the Hong Kong champion failed to get there and he was defeated by a nose by California Spangle in a thrilling finish.
In a mid-race move Hugh Bowman took the California Spangle’s stable-mate Beauty Joy to the lead. In doing this it appeared that the increased tempo might, in fact, assist in the winning chances of Golden Sixty, however, Purton was able to maintain his rhythm aboard California Spangle to keep him settled and save him for one last effort inside the final 200 metres of the race.
As Golden Sixty loomed up inside the final 150m, Purton took a look to his left probably thinking that Golden Sixty was going to nail him on the post again, however, there was no give in California Spangle who fought on courageously all the way to the line to keep Golden Sixty back in secondplace.
This was Purton’s tenth HKIR career victory and he now holds the record for a jockey of having the most wins on this race day.
Tony Cruz was full of praise for Purton’s efforts saying, “Zac rode the perfect race. He went with the flow. We’d planned the tactics – how to ride the race. But everything can change within seconds.
“Somehow, it turned out so fantastically good. California Spangle is a rising horse. Golden Sixty – age has started to catch up with him. I think this is where we got the advantage.”
Tony Cruz now has trained eleven winners on HKIR and now holds the record for most wins on this day by a trainer.
Purton was also full of praise for California Spangle after the race.
“He is a special horse. Unfortunately, he’s been coming up against a champ and just coming up short. I suppose it was the third time lucky. When Beauty Joy went out and around him, he was happy to let him go. He just got into a lovely rhythm behind him and wanted to chase him, and then when he got clear of him, he wanted to wait a little bit, which was a worrying time for me when I could feel Golden Sixty breathing down my neck again.
“I thought Golden Sixty had me at the 200m, but at the 100m I thought he hasn’t got me yet, so we kept trying, and we were lucky to get the result.”
After the race an emotional Vincent Ho said that “My horse (Golden Sixty) ran very well, and I’m happy for him. California Spangle had good pace and saved all the ground,”
Golden Sixty remains the Hong Kong champion and as the all-time winning horse in the history of Hong Kong racing and the amazing chants and applause by the 45,305-crowd present on his return to scale exemplified their acknowledgment of their champion in Hong Kong racing despite the narrow defeat.
The Australian runner, Law Of Indices, trained by Annabel Neasham and ridden by James Mc Donald, ran gallant third.
McDonald praised the effort after the race saying, “He went enormous. It was unreal. I’m so proud of him.”
