Longines Hong Kong Mile
Hong Kong | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Longines Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the milers at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
It is run as part of the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) meeting run in December each year.
The Longines Hong Kong Mile is run over 1600m. It was first run in 1991 and was won by Additional Risk.
The first runnings were as the International Bowl and run over the 1400m.
It was a Group 3 in 1994 then Group 2 before it became a Group 1 from 1999 when stepped up to the mile.
Most wins by a Trainer (4): John Moore, Tony Cruz.
Most wins by a Jockey (4): Zac Purton.
Good Ba Ba won three straight Longines Hong Kong Miles while Golden Sixty also scored three times while Monopolize from Australia scored twice.
Australian horses won three in a row from 1995/1996/1997. After Monopolize, Catalan Opening swept home for legends Darren Beadman and Bart Cummings.
One of the great editions was in 2000. Dual Cox Plate winner Sunline took on the local champ Fairy King Prawn and they cleared out for a soul stirring battle as the "horse of Hong Kong came after the mare of the world".
Beauty Generation won multiple G1s following his 2017 victory and backed it up in 2018. He was one of Hong Kong's four home trained winners on International Day 2018. Becoming one of the best rated horses in the world, he would win a string of local G1 races.
Admire Mars from Japan won as a 3yo in 2019 – the first of that generation in 16 years. He was one of Japan's three HKIR winners on the day.
Golden Sixty confirmed his superb local record making it back to back wins in 2021 and taking his 19th victory in Hong Kong setting the local record with 16 of them on the trot. He tried again in 2022 but couldn't run down California Spangle. He got back to winning ways in 2023.
The Longines Hong Kong Mile was worth HK$36m in 2024.
Notable winners of the Longines Hong Kong Mile include Voyage Bubble (2024), Golden Sixty (2020/2021/2023), California Spangle (2022), Admire Mars (2019), Beauty Generation (2017/2018), Maurice (2015), Able Friend (2014), Ambitious Dragon (2012), Able One (2011), Good Ba Ba (2007/2008/2009), Lucky Owners (2003), Sunline (2000), Jim And Tonic (1998), Catalan Opening (1997) and Monopolize (1995/1996).
The 2024 Longines Hong Kong Mile was won by Voyage Bubble from Soul Rush and Beauty Joy.
Previous Longines Hong Kong Mile Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VOYAGE BUBBLE
(AUS)
6G DEEP FIELD (AUS) - RAHEIGHTS (AUS) RAHY (USA) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 57.0 | P F YIU | 5 |
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
8G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 14 |
|
CALIFORNIA SPANGLE
(IRE)
4G STARSPANGLEDBANNER (AUS) - PEARLITAS PASSION (IRE) HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 2 |
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
6G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 2 |
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
5G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 7 |
|
ADMIRE MARS
(JPN)
3C DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) - VIA MEDICI (IRE) MEDICEAN (GB) |
C SOUMILLON | 56.5 | Y TOMOMICHI | 4 |
|
BEAUTY GENERATION
(NZ)
6G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 12 |
|
BEAUTY GENERATION
(NZ)
5G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) |
D LEUNG | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 9 |
|
BEAUTY ONLY
(IRE)
5G HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - GOLDENDALE (IRE) ALI-ROYAL (IRE) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 13 |
|
MAURICE
(JPN)
4H SCREEN HERO (JPN) - MEJIRO FRANCES (JPN) CARNEGIE (IRE) |
RYAN MOORE | 57.0 | N HORI | 11 |
|
ABLE FRIEND
(AUS)
5G SHAMARDAL (USA) - PONTE PICCOLO (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 11 |
|
GLORIOUS DAYS
(AUS)
6G HUSSONET (USA) - SAN CENTURY (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) |
D WHYTE | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 13 |
|
AMBITIOUS DRAGON
(NZ)
6G PINS (AUS) - GOLDEN GAMBLE (NZ) OREGON (USA) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | A T MILLARD | 11 |
|
ABLE ONE
(NZ)
9G CAPE CROSS (IRE) - GARDENIA (NZ) DANEHILL (USA) |
J LLOYD | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 7 |
|
BEAUTY FLASH
(NZ)
5G GOLAN (IRE) - WYCHWOOD ROSE (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) |
G MOSSE | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 14 |
|
GOOD BA BA
(USA)
7G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) |
O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | D CRUZ | 9 |
|
GOOD BA BA
(USA)
6G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) |
C SOUMILLON | 58.0 | ANDREAS SCHUTZ | 7 |
|
GOOD BA BA
(USA)
5G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) |
O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | ANDREAS SCHUTZ | 6 |
|
THE DUKE
(AUS)
7G DANEHILL (USA) - MER DU SUD (IRE) BLUEBIRD (USA) |
O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | C FOWNES | 4 |
|
HAT TRICK
(JPN)
4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - TRICKY CODE (USA) LOST CODE (USA) |
O PESLIER | 58.0 | KATSUHIKO SUMII | 10 |
|
FIREBREAK
(GB)
5H CHARNWOOD FOREST (IRE) - BREAKAWAY (GB) SONG (GB) |
LANFRANCO DETTORI | 58.0 | 3 | |
|
LUCKY OWNERS
(NZ)
4H - MISS PRIORITY (NZ) |
F COETZEE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 7 |
|
OLYMPIC EXPRESS
(GB)
4G - |
WEICHONG MARWING | 58.0 | I W ALLAN | 10 |
|
SUNLINE
(NZ)
5M DESERT SUN (GB) - SONGLINE (NZ) WESTERN SYMPHONY (USA) |
G CHILDS | 56.0 | TREVOR MCKEE | 9 |
Related News
Pierre Ng heads into Sunday’s (15 December) fixture at Sha Tin with a team of nine spread across eight of the 10 races, including Healthy Healthy (125lb) and I Give (126lb) – both engaged in a quality HK$2.84 million Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap (1000m).
Fresh off receiving the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award at a special ceremony on Friday night, expat Kiwi hoop James McDonald etched his name in the record books at Sha Tin on Sunday when he partnered local hero Romantic Warrior to their third successive triumph in the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has lauded the 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) as “one of the best days of racing” in Hong Kong racing history.
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
Voyage Bubble sealed his status as Hong Kong’s premier miler with a spirited victory in this afternoon’s (Sunday, 8 December) HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin under James McDonald for trainer Ricky Yiu.
Japan is seeking a first win in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) since 2019 and Yasutoshi Ikee suggested a change in tactics could help Soul Rush be the one to provide some more international glory on Sunday (8 December).
Fresh from the official presentation of the 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award, New Zealander James McDonald is aiming for more success in tomorrow’s (Sunday, 8 December) LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) at Sha Tin.
LONGINES Hong Kong Cup
The yellow and red “California” silks have proved very popular among Hong Kong racing fans with success at the highest level – and there are high hopes of more glory this weekend.
While all eyes are on New Zealand-bred gelding Ka Ying Rising ahead of Sunday’s Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), his compatriot Flying Ace has made a late bid to cause an upset in the Sha Tin feature.
Mark Zahra returns to Hong Kong on Sunday (8 December) for his third riding foray in the city but unlike the first time he appeared at Sha Tin as a 21-year-old, his rides have been vastly upgraded.
LONGINES Hong Kong Cup
Selections and analysis for Sunday's (08/12/24) 10-race fixture at Sha Tin.
LONGINES Hong Kong Cup