There were two pieces of bad news for the connections of Hong Kong milers not named Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) after the reigning horse of the year monstered his over-matched rivals with another easy victory – his sixth straight – in the G1 Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin.
The first part of bad news was from jockey Zac Purton at the post-race press conference, he claimed Beauty Generation has some improvement left in him, and the second was from trainer John Moore, who suggested his 6-year-old would focus on Hong Kong's all-time prize money record.
That first claim from Purton is astonishing considering Beauty Generation has now won each of his last three starts by three lengths, doing it in blistering times and with the impression that the gelding's massive engine is merely idling.
"He was pretty much in cruise control and enjoying his time there up the straight. There was a bit more there." - Jockey, Zac Purton
Watch: Beauty Generation's win in the G1 Stewards' Cup
"He was pretty much in cruise control and enjoying his time there up the straight," Purton said. "There was a bit more there." John Size-trained 5-year-old Conte (Starcraft {NZ}) had been spruiked as a possible challenger after winning seven of his nine starts but was left in Beauty Generation's wake, along with Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and Pakistan Star (Ger)(Shamardal {USA}).
Overseas targets?
The question has already been asked many times of Moore, Purton and owner Patrick Kwok: when will Beauty Generation take on the world? Well, the second piece of bad news was that, for now at least, Beauty Generation would stay at Sha Tin.
Zac Purton and Beauty Generation
The G1 Dubai Turf had been talked about as a possible option, and in theory it remains so, but the gelding's next goal is a second straight G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup on February 17 and a rematch with Sunday's other G1 winner Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook).
Moore indicated post-race that if Beauty Generation did travel this season, if at all, it would be after the lucrative domestic schedule had been completed with a shot at a second G1 Champions Mile, worth HKD$18m.
The Stewards' Cup first prize cheque of HKD$5.7m took Beauty Generation to $66,387,500 and past Moore's recent stars Able Friend (Shamardal {USA}) at HKD$61.3m and Designs On Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) at HKD$62,.8m.
Beauty Generation
Now another of Moore's former stars is in Beauty Generation's sights: all-time leader Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}) at HKD$83,197,500. The Kwok family, owners of the Sasa cosmetics chain that is ubiquitous in Hong Kong as the family's various black-and-pink silks are on the track, had success earlier in the day when Full Of Beauty (Darci Brahma {NZ}) made it two-from-two.
The John Size-Joao Moreira combination is formidable enough but when they team with a John Foote Bloodstock purchase like Full Of Beauty it pays to take note. Foote found Full Of Beauty at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2016 Premier yearling Sale for $120,000.
Full Of Beauty's win was one of four for Moreira and three for Size on a day when Australian or New Zealand-bred runners won nine of the 10 races.
