Old man Golden Sixty lives up to his name and gives Equinox a nudge

Handicappers of the World’s Best Racehorse rankings have an interesting task ahead of them in the next few weeks.

Japan’s star colt Equinox is still likely to be named the global champion of 2023, but momentous events at Sha Tin racecourse at the weekend surely complicated matters for the judges.

Hong Kong’s local heroes Golden Sixty, Lucky Sweynesse and Romantic Warrior had racing aficionados gushing with superlatives after their momentous victories at Hong Kong’s International Races. The consensus was that the trio deserved to ride in the rankings.

On 5 November – following Equinox’s comfortable victory in the Japan Cup in late November – the four-year-old was No 1 on the log with a rating of 129 – ahead of Prix de la Arc de Triomphe victor Ace Impact and Britain’s Mostahdaf on 128.

Joint seventh on the list – compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and sponsored by watchmaker Longines – were Golden Sixty and Lucky Sweynesse, with 125. Romantic Warrior was joint 12th at 123.

Weekend racing

In Saturday’s Hong Kong Sprint, Lucky Sweynesse outclassed some of the best speed horses in the world to complete a clean sweep of the city’s four major sprints in one year and post his 15th win in 21 starts. Television presenters were unanimous that he was the world’s best sprinter and raids on Royal Ascot, the Breeders’ Cup and Dubai were called for.

Romantic Warrior, coming off a historic victory in Australia’s Cox Plate and facing a high-class field, held off a dramatic late challenge from Aidan O’Brien-trained Luxembourg (also joint 12th in the rankings) to claim the Hong Kong Cup a second time. Kiwi jockey James McDonald declared Romantic Warrior to be “the toughest racehorse I’ve ever sat on”.

“He’s a monster!” were the first words from local jockey Vincent Ho after Golden Sixty confirmed a reputation as Hong Kong’s greatest ever horse by winning the Mile a third time – at the age of nearly nine, from a wide draw and after a highly unconventional preparation.

It was his 26th win from 30 starts and his 10th at the highest level – beating Almond Eye’s world record of nine Grade 1s and made him the highest-earning horse of all time, anywhere in the world.

Still going strong

Golden Sixty had been slated for retirement soon, but the connections are having a rethink, with an international campaign in the mix. “He might be eight, but it feels like he’s four,” said Ho.

How do the Longines brains trust compare those performances and records to Equinox’s career stats of eight wins from 10 runs in two seasons? Especially in the context of many of the colt’s highly thought-of compatriots getting blown away at Sha Tin.

Old man Golden Sixty stole the show and must surely rise the most on January’s final table, but how close to Equinox’s 129 points dare they push him?

Incidentally, there are no South African-trained horses in the world’s current top 50, with previous placeholders like Rainbow Bridge and Jet Dark having retired from racing.