Graham Cunningham: A duel worth celebrating at Sha Tin on Sunday

'Come at the king, you best not miss'.

It is not often you get the chance to quote a scene from seminal HBO drama The Wire when previewing a big race, but the words of the notorious Baltimore stick-up merchant Omar Little ring true in assessing the eagerly awaited clash between Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty.

A colourful promo poster for the first Group race of Hong Kong's new season bills Sunday's Celebration Cup showdown as 'Master Miler Meets The Golden Boy' and the tale of the tape duly reveals numerous key facts about the two stars.

It tells of how eight-year-old dual horse of the year Beauty Generation has won 18 races including eight at Group 1 level and over £10m in prize-money while proving himself one of the most destructive front-running forces in world racing.

It also illustrates how five-year-old Golden Sixty has deployed a striking turn of finishing speed to win ten of his 11 starts, culminating in a last-gasp BMW Hong Kong Derby success in March, to stake a persuasive claim as heir to the throne.

The old king has been imperious in winning the last three Celebration Cups first time out and, following John Moore's departure, is now being guided by another charismatic Aussie in David Hayes.

However, the young pretender receives 17lb from Beauty Generation in this Group 3 handicap and that fact is not lost on any of the key human players ahead of Sunday's big race.

"There's quite a big weight allowance for us," says Golden Sixty's measured but confident rider Vincent Ho. "He's developed both physically and mentally since last season but this is his first time racing against the big boys so it's good to have the handicap on our side."

Hayes feels "Golden Sixty has done everything you could ask of a horse" and suspects the star he inherited from Moore a couple of months ago may get his best chance to shine again once the set weights Group races come around in November and December.

Golden Sixty: winner of ten of his 11 starts to dateCredit: Hkjc

Beauty Generation's rider Zac Purton is equally conscious of the challenge the veteran faces giving weight all round but takes heart from a firm belief that "champions do things that other horses can't".

"He looks good and to me he still feels like he's got the will to want to do it," added Purton. "It's now David's job to be able to handle him. We're looking to create history and for me it's exciting."

You have to go back to 1994 to find the last example of a Hong Kong horse winning a major race four years in a row and the beast in question, the hugely popular River Verdon, is now stuffed and on permanent display at the racing museum in Happy Valley.

Beauty Generation chases history in front of a Covid-reduced attendance of around 3,000 on Sunday as he bids to become the first horse ever to win 19 times in Hong Kong, but the key angle is perhaps not what the old king is chasing but what will be chasing him up the Sha tin straight.

The official assessors of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, led by hugely respected former BHB senior handicapper Nigel Gray, feel that Golden Sixty's form thus far would give him between seven and eight lengths to find with Beauty Generation if they met at level weights over 1,400m on good ground.

However, Gray's diligent race planning team don't believe in providing soft options when there is the chance to see whether the good match the great on high-class handicap terms and, besides the big two, Sunday's field also includes another proven Group 1 performer in Southern Legend and a trio of smart Anglo/Irish imports made up of Ka Ying Star, Fast Most Furious and Preciousship.

Still, a duel between Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty is what most of the socially distanced gathering will be hoping for. With the Sky Sports Racing cameras trained firmly on Sha Tin, the 'Golden Boy' will come at the king at a little after half past nine on Sunday morning.

And, to paraphrase the bold Omar, if Golden Sixty is to stake a convincing claim to Beauty Generation's throne, he best not miss.

Sunday's Celebration Cup card

Bets can be placed into HK pools with the Tote, Coral and Ladbrokes
First race at Sha Tin on Sunday is 6am BST