Francis Lui is confident Golden Sixty can secure a 12th consecutive victory at Sha Tin by triumphing in Sunday’s Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup.
The Australian-bred five-year-old is the heavy favourite to win the HK$12million prize, as he has taken on and defeated six of his seven rivals for the race before.
Rise High is the only horse in the field not to have crossed paths with Golden Sixty in the past, but despite being the clear frontrunner for Sunday’s race, Lui is taking nothing for granted regarding his prolific winner.
“He’s OK, he’s in good form,” Lui told reporters. “I really think at this moment that he’s ready.
“Most of the horses have run recently, which will bring up their condition, so I think it’s going to be competitive.”
Golden Sixty has won 14 of his 15 races since joining Lui’s yard in 2019, with all those successes, as well as his sole loss, coming at Sha Tin.
Lui is certainly hopeful of another victory on Sunday and he already has targets in mind for Golden Sixty beyond the weekend, including the Hong Kong Gold Cup next and then either the Champions Mile or the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
“After this race, next month, he’ll go for the Gold Cup,” Lui added. “I’m preparing for the Gold Cup, and then after that it will be April’s race.
However, international fans of Golden Sixty will seemingly have to wait a little longer to see him up close, with Lui confirming he has no plans to take the horse abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’m asked if I will send the horse overseas – but at this stage, because of the coronavirus, I’m likely to keep him in Hong Kong.”
