Hong Kong horse racing: Beauty the best of his Generation

THERE is something very special happening in Hong Kong horse racing these days.

Beauty Generation is fast becoming the iconic horse of the racing-mad nation and, after a brilliant hat-trick of Group One victories in 2018, he was confirmed as the world’s top miler at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse awards in London on Wednesday.

Aussie supermare Winx and UK-based Frankel colt Cracksman, who both fall into the middle-distance category, shared top spot on a rating of 130, while Breeders’ Cup hero Accelerate, also in the middle-distance bracket, was the only other horse ranked above miler Beauty Generation (127).

That rating means the John Moore-trained gelding shares the Hong Kong history books with legendary ex-stablemate Able Friend as the country’s highest rated horse ever.

And that might be adjusted further in Beauty Generation’s favour when the next round of rankings are calculated thanks to his most recent Group One romp, when coasting home by three lengths in the Stewards’ Cup at Sha Tin last Sunday.

Trainer Moore, who also saddled Able Friend to his 13 victories, suggested the six-year-old is in a league of his own.

“He’s the best of the lot,” Moore stated last weekend, and his handler is not ruling out taking on the world’s best in Dubai or at Royal Ascot later in the season.

“I’d love to travel him,” the trainer admitted, “but it’s important that I fit into the route that the Kwok family wants to take.”

His next engagement is likely to be the Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin at the end of February and then maybe, just maybe, he’ll be getting his passport stamped after that.

Longines World Best Racehorse rankings: 130: Cracksman (MD), Winx (MD) 128: Accelerate (MD) 127 Beauty Generation (M)