A dog's life? Beauty only second as trying week ends for Hayes and canine pal

Beauty Generation's bid to become the winningmost horse in the history of racing in Hong Kong was derailed at Sha Tin on Sunday, when he dead-heated for second to new star Golden Sixty in the Celebration Cup, bringing an end to an eventful week for trainer David Hayes, who nearly lost his beloved dog Bailey to a snake bite.

Successful in the Group 3 handicap for the last three years, Beauty Generation was making his first start for Hayes after former trainer John Moore reached 70 – the Hong Kong Jockey Club's retirement age.

Celebration Cup result

Had the New Zealand-bred gelding prevailed he would have moved on to 19 victories in the jurisdiction, taking him one clear of 1970s ace Super Win – who was trained by Moore's father George – and rocket sprinter Silent Witness.

Beauty Generation's task was complicated by conceding 17lb to his younger rival, who went off the 4-5 favourite and followed up his win in March's Hong Kong Derby.

A five-year-old, Golden Sixty was recording his 11th win in the jurisdiction, so his connections might have ambitions on the record themselves one day.

Hayes, who was hiking with wife Prue in a nature reserve when his dog was bitten by a bamboo viper in the week and faced a dash to save him, was far from disappointed with the outcome, with nothing in it between his runner and Champion's Way for second spot.

"We knew it was always going to be a big ask to give a young champion like Golden Sixty so much weight, but I thought Beauty Generation would have finished a clear second with a better run," he said.

A Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate-winning trainer, Hayes was based in Hong Kong from 1996 to 2005 and this summer returned to the Far East.

He anticipates Zac Purton's popular mount to improve, adding: "He's going to be at his very best when the big set weights races come around in November and December."

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