Hong Kong champion Beauty Generation has continued his resurgence with victory in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy at Sha Tin.
Sunday’s win sets Beauty Generation up for a tilt at an unprecedented third Group One Champions Mile later this month.
Racing is continuing in Hong Hong and Japan but has been put on hold for a month in Singapore because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hong Kong’s highest-rated horse for 2019, Beauty Generation was beaten four times in a row before regaining winning form in the Jubilee Cup in February.
Formerly trained in Australia by Anthony Cummings, the son of 12-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Bart Cummings, Beauty Generation went under the racing name Montaigne down under before its relocation to Asia.
Beauty Generation now joins Silent Witness as the equal-record holder for wins in Hong Kong with a total of 18, taking his prize money past $HK100 million.
“He’s done that nicely leading into the Champions Mile. He’s 100 percent right now, so I’ve just got to carry that through the next three weeks,” trainer John Moore told the HK Jockey Club.
“It was a very nice win. The tempo was absolutely perfect and everything went to plan so it’s a good sign for the Champions Mile.”
The feature was billed as a match between Beauty Generation and rising star Waikuku, but the latter never got out of first gear with Australian expat Zac Purton guiding his steet to win by half a length.
Purton has been aboard for 15 of Beauty Generation’s 18 wins.
“I suppose the most pleasing part was at the 200-metre mark when they challenged him and he fought them off,” Purton said.
“He’s got a little bit of spark about him again,”
Beauty Generation will have to overcome Derby winner Golden Sixty in the Champion’s Mile in what looms as the showdown of the year.
“Golden Sixty is an exceptional racehorse on the up,” Moore said.
“He’s the new boy on the block and now he’s got to do it but I have to say, he puts a bit of fright into the team.”
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