While owner Stanley Chan Ka-leung, trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai and jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu have been at the forefront of Golden Sixty’s remarkable journey, the magnificent miler has left a mark on many during his record-breaking career.

Ahead of Golden Sixty’s retirement ceremony at Sha Tin on Sunday, the Post caught up with four-time champion trainer Caspar Fownes, former Hong Kong jockey Jack Wong Ho-nam and current Jockey Club race caller Mark McNamara to get their unique perspectives on the most successful galloper this city has ever seen.

‘Superstar is the only way to describe him’

No sooner had Fownes’ warhorse Southern Legend broken through for his first Group One win on home soil in the 2020 Champions Mile did Golden Sixty come along to make things a whole lot harder.

Southern Legend ran second to Golden Sixty in his next two Group One outings – the 2020 Hong Kong Mile and the 2021 Stewards’ Cup – and never again prevailed at the top level, but Fownes took solace from the fact his gutsy galloper wasn’t beaten by any old opponent.

“What a horse. He gave us so many years of excitement, from the sprinting ranks all the way up to 2,000m. Just an absolute superstar. Superstar is the only way to describe him. The best. I see him every day because our yards are opposite each other and it’s incredible to see a horse come through the ranks to do what he did, winning HK$167 million. He’s just a superstar. It’s incredible for Francis and Vincent, they both did a great job with him. I’m sure there will be a few tears shed on Sunday when it actually sinks in. It’s a well-deserved retirement and it’s good to see him going away in sound form.”

‘He was a little bit skinny, not a huge, strong type’

While Wong was never lucky enough to snare a Group race during a Hong Kong riding career that netted 89 winners, he does have the distinction of being the only jockey other than Ho to partner Golden Sixty in a race or barrier trial.

Wong’s brush with greatness came in a fourth-placed trial finish in August 2019, soon after Golden Sixty’s first career loss at start four and in the lead up to his fabulous four-year-old campaign.

“It was a great opportunity and I remember that day. He hadn’t started racing at Group level yet – he was only in Class Three – and he’d just lost his first race, so at that time we thought maybe he would only make it to Class One or Class Two. Nothing was standing out too much. He never trialled that well in all-weather trials when he was young and he just felt like a good horse to me, nothing more than that. His figure never looked like the best horse – he was a little bit skinny, not a huge, strong type. But he had a big heart and the good thing was the horse proved us wrong. He continued to improve and I’m glad he won so many more races. It’s been fantastic to watch him and he’s one of the best horses of his era.”

‘That’s not a whip, that’s a wand’

McNamara first called Golden Sixty in the 2020 Hong Kong Derby and was in the hot seat for all 10 of the nine-year-old’s Group One victories.

Lui and Ho have spoken about how Golden Sixty made them better at their craft and the man who delivered lines like “It’s a Ferrari against six Hong Kong taxi cabs” and “That’s not a whip, that’s a wand” confirms the three-time Horse of the Year demanded the best of him.

“I definitely got as nervous calling Golden Sixty as any horse in Hong Kong because of who he was and the moments that surrounded him. They make you nervous in a good way because you want them to win and you want to try and deliver the call the best you can to match that. It’s been an honour to play a very small part in his career here. There’s been so many different times from Covid right through to the end and that win on international day last season.”