He’s got three runners at Sha Tin on Saturday as he chases the first winner of his Hong Kong farewell tour, but for Richard Gibson, Tuesday morning’s barrier trials loom as even more important than what happens on the racetrack this weekend.

So far, everything has fallen into place ahead of Wellington’s planned trip to Royal Ascot, which has all the makings of the perfect way to sign off for Gibson after he announced this will be his last Hong Kong season.

There’s an excitement in Gibson’s voice when he talks about the potential of testing his one true star in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1,200m), and the latest domino to fall in the mission is the booking of Ryan Moore.

“The horse is in very good condition and he’s got age and experience under his belt. Ryan Moore is confirmed to ride the horse. We’re expecting him to trial well on Tuesday and we’ll set sail for the Ascot adventure,” said Gibson.

There’ll be a nice symmetry to the whole thing should all unfold as hoped, with Gibson the last Hong Kong-based trainer to take a horse to Royal Ascot when he tackled the same race Wellington will contest with Gold-Fun in 2016.

Gold-Fun had to settle for second on that occasion, and there’s no doubt Wellington will have to be close to his best to be in the finish on June 24.

Gibson is quick to point out that “we’re going to Ascot because it’s the right thing to do for the horse”, but there’s a real sense of timing around the whole thing for Wellington and his trainer and – results aside – it’s hard to imagine a better way for the Englishman to sign off on his 12-year Hong Kong stint.

Sixty conqueror retires

The recently retired Savvy Nine may never have tasted success at the elite level, but he achieved just about the next best thing in Hong Kong racing – beating home the great Golden Sixty.

Since finishing 10th in a Class Three 1,400m contest at just his fourth start – a race jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu declared “he shouldn’t have been running” in because of a rushed preparation – Golden Sixty has only been beaten home by four horses across 25 starts.

While California Spangle was the most recent horse to defeat Golden Sixty, it was Waikuku who ended the superstar’s 16-race winning streak.

The very next start, in February last year, Savvy Nine finished second behind Russian Emperor in a Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) in which Golden Sixty ran third.

Trained first by John Moore and then by Douglas Whyte, while Savvy Nine won only once from his 42 Hong Kong starts, he pocketed nearly HK$12 million in prize money for owner Julian Hui Chun-hang.

Sign for Singapore

The news of the demise of Singapore racing has reverberated throughout the sport this week, and Lion City resident Cadence Wong is attempting to do her bit, launching a “Save Singapore Horse Racing” petition.

Wong is hoping “to rally international support and draw attention to the lack of consultation with the racing community by the government”.

Singapore government to end 180 years of horse racing in city

“Covid has hit this industry hard. It has just got back on its feet, only to have the rug pulled with no warning at all. Horse racing has so much potential to be an entertainment event for locals and tourists alike, so let’s give them time to make that happen.

“From the trainers and jockeys, stable hands and administrative staff, the closure of the Turf Club will have a severe impact on many hard-working individuals and their families. We are talking about close to 1,000 locals whose jobs will no longer exist.”