THE Beauty Generation steamroller flattened all-comers again at Sha Tin on Sunday as Hong Kong’s champion bagged a sixth career Group 1 success in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over seven furlongs.

“It’s just a repeat of what he’s been doing all season,” trainer John Moore said as his charge was being led back.

Hong Kong’s equal highest-rated (127) horse of all-time had just taken his season’s tally to 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 only needed 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’.”

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.

Joao Moreira’s mount was drawn rail-side and the Brazilian tried to make use of that berth to make the favourite work through the opening strides. Beauty Generation was unruffled, galloping on by to secure the forward position, rolling along in his customary fluid locomotion.

“It was easy for him,” Purton said. “Joao was always going to pull back and let me go and I just waited until he did that and rolled on. It was pretty straightforward; it was pretty easy.”

When Purton gave the signal at the turn into the straight, Beauty Generation increased his effort and powered for home. Beat The Clock could only get to within a length and three-quarters.

Owner Patrick Kwok is fixed on a second Champions Mile to go with Beauty Generation’s back-to-back wins in this race and the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.

“First things first, we are focused on the Champions Mile,” Kwok said. “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.

“The most important thing is the horse,” he continued “It’s such a rare opportunity to have a horse like this so if we can have another season like this season, we’d take that.”

Exultant the Group 1 star

THE manner in which Exultant took control of the Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (10 furlongs) left no room for doubt that he is fully entitled to his official billing as Hong Kong’s second best horse behind the majestic Beauty Generation.

Zac Purton has few peers when it comes to judging pace and, in his own words, he “bit the bullet and decided to go” when Vincent Ho slowed the pace aboard last year’s Gold Cup hero Time Warp approaching the halfway mark.

The Irish-bred Exultant quickened from a distant eighth to a freewheeling first in little over 200 metres as Purton asked him to sustain a long run for home soon after and the five-year-old galloped on relentlessly to pass the post a length and a half clear of the running-on 56/1 shot Southern Legend as the pair drew clear of Dinozzo and Simply Brilliant.

SHADOWS

Pakistan Star and Time Warp looked shadows of their former selves in occupying the last two places.

Southern Legend, who has now finished placed in three Group 1 contests this season and remains on course to meet a Group 1 field including the superstar Japanese filly Almond Eye in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan on March 30th.