GOLDEN Sixty recorded his 16th consecutive victory, and his 19h in 20 starts, when he pushed his earnings past £9 million with his successful defence of the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile.

While there is no apparent Irish connection at first viewing of the six-year-old’s pedigree, Jim Bolger’s name is to the fore when you scratch the surface.

Golden Sixty first came to prominence when he won the Hong Kong Derby, and since then he has added Group 1 wins, in addition to a pair of Hong Kong Mile victories, in the Champions Mile, Stewards Cup and Hong Kong Gold Cup.

The son of Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) is the best of six winning progeny of Gaudeamus, a daughter of Distorted Humor (Forty Niner) who was purchased as a yearling at Keeneland in 2005 for $60,000 and joined Jim Bolger’s string at Coolcullen. From there she raced in the colours of Jackie Bolger who owned her in partnership with the late John Corcoran. All her wins came at two, a debut victory at Naas followed by wins in the Listed Woodpark and Ballysheehan Studs Stakes at the Curragh and the Group 2 Robert H Griffin Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown.

Gaudeamus was sold to Australia, and Golden Sixty is, as you might imagine, her best runner. The rest include the Listed Tasmanian Derby-third Igitur (Helmet) and the Group 3-placed Rainbow Connection (Choisir). Having sold as a yearling for A$120,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, Golden Sixty went through the ring again as a two-year-old in New Zealand where he made NZ$300,000 to the bid of his current trainer Francis Lui. Golden Sixty was bred by Asco International Pty Ltd in Queensland.

Bobby Frankel

Medaglia D’Oro turns 23 in a few days and will stand for $100,000 next year at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky. His 26 Grade 1 winners include star mares Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, Golden Slipper champion Vancouver and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Talismanic. Medaglia D’Oro was trained by Bobby Frankel for a record of eight wins and seven seconds in 17 starts, his successes including the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, Whitney Handicap and Donn Handicap (now the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes).

Gaudeamus is the only stakes winner among seven winning progeny from the stakes-placed American runner Leo’s Lucky Lady (Seattle Slew). One who earned blacktype was Leo’s Luckyman (Woodman), trained by Mark Johnston, and his best effort was when third behind Dubai Destination and Rock Of Gibraltar in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at two. His own-sister Seattle’s Wood (Woodman) bred the top Danish runner Falconet (Falco), winner of the Listed Dansk Pokallob three times, while she is grandam of the Group 3 Italian St Leger winner O’Juke (Jukebox Jury).

Leo’s Lucky Lady is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Korveya (Riverman), dam of the Group 1 winners Hector Protector (Woodman), Bosra Sham (Woodman) and Shanghai (Procida).

There was huge drama as Sky Field, a son of Group 2 winner Deep Field (Northern Meteor), won the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. The finish was marred by a tragic four-horse fall on the home turn. The Australian-bred five-year-old winner got a clear run among the chaos.

Sky Field

Sky Field was bred by Mike Ryan and is now the second Group 1 winner for Newgate stallion Deep Field among four crops of racing age, the first being the Oakleigh Plate winner Portland Sky. They are among a dozen stakes winners by the sire.

Sunday’s big race winner was purchased by the Kwan family for NZ$175,000 from the Trelawney Stud draft at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. He is out of the New Zealand-bred Laravissante, a winner in Australia, and he is the sole stakes performer among his dam’s five winners. Laravissante’s most recent offspring is a yearling filly by Pariah (Redoute’s Choice).

Laravissante is a half-sister to Group 1 Hong Kong Mile winner The Duke (Danehill), while two of her half-sisters have produced Group 1-placed stakes winners. The third dam of Sky Field is Make Plans (Go Marching), and that mare was managed by my late father Benny for a time while she was in the broodmare band at Swordlestown Stud.

Make Plans bred a total of 10 winners, the best of which was the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes winner Sayf El Arab (Drone). Another of her three stakes winner was the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene winner Monde Bleu (Last Tycoon), while among her descendants are the Italian and Argentine Group 1 winners Aoife Alainn (Dr Fong) and Brandyrun (Incurable Optimist).