Ryan Moore second again as Golden Sixty heads Lui 1-2 in Classic Mile

What Sha Tin may have lacked in the festive atmosphere usually associated with Lunar New Year celebrations, it more than made up for in excitement as Hong Kong's latest star, Golden Sixty, put on a scintillating display to win the Classic Mile in front of a much-depleted crowd on Monday.

With stablemate More Than This filling out the forecast, trainer Francis Lui can have every reason to welcome the arrival of the Chinese Year of the Rat.

While new year celebrations were cancelled across Hong Kong and Disneyland remained closed to visitors in an effort to minimise the risk to the population of the coronavirus, officials had chosen to go ahead with a reduced attendance of 8,000 at Sha Tin for what is a fixture that often draws a six-figure holiday crowd.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club have announced that Wednesday's card at Happy Valley will also take place with restricted public access, with only advanced bookings for the restaurants and racing professionals allowed to attend.

Those that were present at Sha Tin cannot fail to have been impressed as Vincent Ho barely had to get serious on Golden Sixty during the closing stages of the Classic Mile – the opening race of the Hong Kong's Four-Year-Old Classic series – while More Than This came home in eyecatching fashion under Ryan Moore to take second.

Arriving at Sha Tin on the latest leg a whistlestop tour that had already taken in a second-placed effort aboard Magic Wand in Florida on Saturday night, Moore was hard at work early on, but the way More Than This finished off his race marked him down as a horse with serious BMW Derby potential over an extra quarter mile.

"He's a nice horse and he stayed on very well," said Moore. "I'm delighted with his run today."

Francis Lui now holds a strong hand ahead of the BMW Hong Kong Derby after saddling Golden Sixty and More Than This to finish first and second in the Centenary MileCredit: Hkjc

Lui will pursue the Derby trail with both horses and said of the winner: "Golden Sixty has done what has been asked of him every time. Last race he went 1,400 metres [7f], this race was a mile and next time will be 1,800 metres [1m1f] in the Hong Kong Classic Cup, so we will take it step by step. If he runs well in the Classic Cup we will go to the Derby."

Cruz eyes Dubai with Exultant

Hong Kong's leading middle-distance performer Exultant continued on his road towards the Dubai Sheema Classic with a gritty success under a welter burden in the Group 3 Centenary Vase over an inadequate 1m1f.

Carrying 13lb more than the next highest in the handicap, the 2018 Hong Kong Vase winner did no more than his trainer Tony Cruz expected in defeating Glorious Dragon by a length and a half.

"I believe he can do something in Dubai, I believe he can prove himself and win that race," said Cruz. "His form is good – it shows that he's right up there with the best."

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