Record-breaking Beauty Generation enjoys Champions Mile stroll at Sha Tin

Report: Hong Kong, Sunday

Sha Tin: FWD Champions Mile (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+

Beauty Generation enjoyed nothing more strenuous than the equivalent of a morning workout to repeat last year’s success, coming home a length and a half clear of Singapore Sling, and in the process beating Hong Kong records for the highest career prize-money, and the biggest winning sequence in a season.

Starting a nine-race winning run 12 months ago, he claimed his eighth success this season under Zac Perton, which took him ahead of Entrapment and Ambitious Dragon, while the HK$10.26m (£1.04m) first prize took his total earnings to HK$84.76m (£8.56m), beyond the previous record of almost HK$83.2m (£8.4m) set by Viva Pataca seven years ago.

Trainer John Moore, winning the race for the eighth time, said: "It's every trainer's dream to have a horse like him. Breaking the records is definitely an amazing achievement, especially for the stable and my staff to keep him at his fitness level. The whole world knows we’ve got a hell of miler in Hong Kong.”

Beauty Generation is rated the best horse on active service in the latest IFHA rankings, but anyone looking for him to be stretched in order to increase his official mark was in for a disappointment.

Purton, who was content to let him bowl along in front unhurried from start to finish, said: "My job was just to keep him rolling, and he did what we expected him to do. I'd like to think there was more in the tank."

The writing was on the wall for his rivals on the final turn and Purton had no cause for concern as Singapore Sling and Oisin Murphy’s mount Simply Brilliant, who was beaten two lengths into third place, mounted their unavailing challenges.

With few further opportunities for Beauty Generation in Hong Kong this season, the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on June 2 is an option and Moore reaffirmed that he would like to travel the six-year-old overseas.

The prospect of Beauty Generation being sent to Japan was given a further boost when Purton tweeted on Sunday: "After tonight’s Beauty Generation 'team' meeting, the odds have shortened dramatically for a trip to the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. If a few minor details can be arranged, it's going to happen. The fans want it, the owner wants it, racing wants it."

Also on Sunday

Sha Tin: Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Group 1) 6f, 3yo+

Beat The Clock led home a one-two-three for Hong Kong-trained horses when gaining his second Group 1 win and his eighth in all, every time with former champion jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle.

The John Size-trained winner broke into the top tier for the first time in January’s Centenary Sprint Cup, where he had a neck to spare over Mr Stunning. With the latter a late withdrawal through lameness, Beat The Clock had a clear chance of reversing his subsequent second placing to Rattan on revised weight terms, and did so by half a length.

Beat The Clock and Joao Moreira lead close home to land the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha TinCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

Rattan stayed on stoutly after making all the running and although he had no answer to a surge that took Beat The Clock to the front 50 metres out, he held Little Giant by three-quarters of a length to claim an honourable second place for trainer Richard Gibson.

Moreira, who was winning the race for the first time, praised the trainer and his team, saying: “They have done a great job with him, and he’s never run a bad race.”

The disappointment of the race was Santa Ana Lane, representing Australia as the joint top-rated sprinter of the moment on IFHA listings. He trailed the field from the start as Rattan set a leisurely pace and, brought wide in the straight, he never threatened the leaders while plugging on for fourth place.

Representatives of Royal Ascot, who had already been told Santa Ana Lane would not be making the trip to England this year, hardly had their hopes raised by the running of Viddora, who is booked on a flight on Wednesday to take part in the King’s Stand Stakes, and Enzo’s Lad, whose connections had spoken about travelling to Berkshire with encouragement. They occupied the last two places.

Sha Tin: FWD QEII Cup (Group 1) 1m2f, 3yo+

Win Bright, the least fancied of three Japanese runners, landed a first Group 1 success as a first runner in Hong Kong for trainer Yoshihiro Hatakeyama and jockey Masami Matsuoka.

Always travelling handily on the inside as the brothers Glorious Forever and Time Warp made the running, Win Bright was taken four wide in the straight to cut down last year’s winner Pakistan Star with 50 metres to run and held the late efforts of Exultant and Oisin Murphy’s mount Lys Gracieux by three-quarters of a length and a length in a course record time of 1min 58.81secs.

Jockey Masami Matsuoka salutes the crowd after winning the QEII Cup on Win BrightCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

Glorious Forever stayed on for fourth place as Pakistan Star weakened, but Deirdre, who ran creditably for Japan when fourth in Almond Eye’s Dubai Turf last month, never threatened in fifth spot.

Although Win Bright, a five-year-old son of Stay Gold, had not previously claimed victory in the highest grade, the 47-1 shot was unbeaten in two races this season and had five Group 1 winners behind him in his most recent outing.

The 2017 Derby fourth Eminent, the sole representative of Britain on the card, finished plum last for trainer Sir Mark Todd after trailing the field throughout. He was eased by jockey James McDonald from the home turn.

Part-owner Hubie de Burgh said: "That was too bad to be true. Hopefully he has pulled up sound."

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