History is there for the taking for Golden Sixty and Wellington at Sha Tin on Sunday, but a quick glance back through the record books shows just how difficult the task is they’re trying to achieve.

Golden Sixty has won more races and prize money than any other Hong Kong-trained horse, but he’s never won the same Group One race three times.

He’s a hot favourite to tick that box with a record third straight win in the Group One Champions Mile this weekend, while Wellington is looking to join Quicken Away as a winner of the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) on three consecutive occasions.

Trained by Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s father Peter, Quicken Away is one of just four horses to string together a hat-trick of wins in any of Hong Kong’s 12 current Group One contests. In a nice piece of symmetry, rookie handler Pierre is among those trying to prevent Wellington from equalling Quicken Away’s record with his inherited speedster Duke Wai.

While Wellington might not have the class to defeat Lucky Sweynesse, Golden Sixty is in the box seat to achieve what he couldn’t when defeated by California Spangle while shooting for a third straight Hong Kong Mile crown in December.

Since the start of Quicken Away’s hat-trick, which ran from 1989 to 1991, 38 gallopers have failed to convert back-to-back feature successes into three on the bounce.

In that time, River Verdon (Gold Cup – 1992, 1993 and 1994; Champions & Chater Cup – 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994), Good Ba Ba (Hong Kong Mile – 2007, 2008 and 2009), and most recently, Beauty Generation (Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup – 2018, 2019 and 2020) are the only other gallopers able to stretch their dominance of a feature beyond two consecutive years.

It’s certainly an exclusive group, but despite what history suggests, you’d be game to bet against it welcoming a fifth member come Sunday afternoon.

Japanese juggernaut rolls back into town

Japanese gallopers have already tasted success in mega-rich contests like the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup in 2023 and not since 2018 has the Land of the Rising Sun had a presence at one of Hong Kong’s international meetings and walked away empty-handed.

Japan’s raiding party consists of four gallopers this year and it’s a continuation of its love-affair with the QE II Cup that looks the most likely occurrence.

While Aguri lines up in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize and is trained by Takayuki Yasuda – the man who prepared the legendary Lord Kanaloa (twice) and Danon Smash to win the Hong Kong Sprint – the four-year-old colt doesn’t look to have the tools to bring down Lucky Sweynesse and become only the second international winner of the race after Australia’s Chautauqua in 2016.

The QE II Cup has proven a very happy hunting ground for Japanese horses, however, and the three-pronged attack of Danon The Kid, Geraldina and Prognosis look poised to pack a punch despite coming in behind Romantic Warrior and Dubai Honour in overseas fixed-odds markets.

Voyage Bubble flies Derby flag

Last month’s Hong Kong Derby champion Voyage Bubble is the only horse from the Classic Series to make it to Champions Day and it won’t only be the might of Golden Sixty he has to overcome to win the Champions Mile.

Not since 2011 has a four-year-old won the Champions Mile, and never has one done the Derby-Champions Mile double.

Xtension’s 2011 victory as a four-year-old came after a second in the Derby, Able One snared the 2007 Champions Mile two starts after a Derby fourth and Figures was victorious in 2004 six days after finishing 11th in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.

Jeune King Prawn went from a Derby 13th to a Champions Mile win in 2002 and Red Pepper won the very first edition of the race in 2001 after finishing fourth in the Derby four starts prior.

Twelve months ago, Romantic Warrior parlayed Derby success into a QE II Cup victory on Champions Day. On Sunday, something extraordinary would have to happen for Voyage Warrior to follow suit with a Champions Day win of his own.