Beauty Generation continues to wow
Hong Kong champion adds Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup to long list of Group 1 wins
The Beauty Generation steamroller flattened all-comers again at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon, as Hong Kong's champion bagged a sixth career Group 1 success in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup over 1,400m.
"It's just a repeat of what he's been doing all season," said trainer John Moore, as his charge was being led back to the turf for a victory photo-call.
Hong Kong's equal highest-rated (127) horse of all-time had just taken his season's tally to an impeccable six from six.
"Everyone's had a go at beating him," the handler continued. "The little bit of hype around a couple of the other horses was fair but he just keeps doing it. He needed only one slap around the backside to get him to accelerate.
"It was another great ride by Zac (Purton) because before the corner you could see he was saying 'now I'm putting the revs up and you've got to chase me'.
"He's just too good and Zac's the composite horseman, he knows exactly what's going on."
Beat The Clock was touted as the rival who might upset the six-year-old's unbeaten streak, which now stretches seven races, back to and including last season's Group 1 Champions Mile. The John Size-trained challenger, successful in the recent Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup over 1,200m, was a head second to Hong Kong's Horse of the Year the last time they met, in this very race 12 months ago.
A second Champions Mile at the end of April beckons for Beauty Generation if he can maintain his imperious form through an entire season.
With the rigours of that task in mind, his connections may decide to go straight there, bypassing the usual lead-in, the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy over 1,600m.
"I think the owner will be asking me to give him a bit of a break so he'll be having a week or so. Then I plan to trial him over 1,000 metres and then over a mile, and that should have him cherry ripe for the Champions Mile," said Moore.
Owner Patrick Kwok is fixed on nailing that second Champions Mile to go with Beauty Generation's back-to-back wins in Sunday's feature and the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile.
"First things first, we are focused on the Champions Mile," said Kwok. "We're not sure if we'll run him in the Group 2. After the Champions Mile, we'll see how he is and then we'll decide about going to Japan for the Yasuda Kinen.
"It's very difficult to go to Japan and it seems to not favour leaders but, if he goes, we'll be trying our best." - HKJC
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