Champions Mile
Hong Kong | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Champions Mile is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the milers at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Champions Mile is run over 1600m. It was first run in 2001 and won by Red Pepper.
The Champions Mile is the only one of Hong Kong's 12 Group 1 contests to have been established after the turn of the millennium.
The race was established initially as a HKG1 contest, designed as a finale for Hong Kong's star milers, and it was the Brian Kan-trained Red Pepper that scored under Eric Legrix.
The race obtained Group 1 status in 2007 after being allowed as an open international race in 2005.
Two internationally trained horses have won the Champions Mile – Variety Club and Maurice.
2017 winner Contentment gave trainer John Size a third win in the Champions Mile. John Moore is the only trainer to have more wins in this race than Size, scoring eight times since 2007. Size won again with Beauty Eternal in 2024.
Brett Prebble notched his third Champions Mile win with Contentment in 2017, making him the most successful jockey in this race at the time.
Japanese star Maurice had a love affair with Sha Tin winning a Hong Kong Mile, a Champions Mile and ended his career with a huge Hong Kong Cup win.
He is one of only three overseas horses to have won three races in Hong Kong. Winning this race five months after his success in the 2015 Hong Kong Mile, he completed the trio when taking the Hong Kong Cup later in 2016.
In 2017 Rapper Dragon was a very short priced favourite after a series of spectacular efforts including the Derby. He was expected to score but was sluggish out of the gates and then broke down at the 700m mark. Sadly he broke the pelvis and couldn't be saved.
Beauty Generation made it the most wins in a Hong Kong Season with eight in 2019. He also claimed Viva Pataca's earnings record taking his total at the time to HK$84,770,000.
Golden Sixty took his record at the time to 17 wins from 18 starts in winning the Champions Mile in 2021. He went to 21 from 24 in winning again in 2022 and then in 2023, by winning, became the highest prizemoney earner in global racing history. He ran short fav in 2024 but missed the placings.
That last win meant Vincent Ho had ridden four winners tacking on Southern Legend's victory in 2020 making him the most successful rider.
Only nine favourites have won this race in the last 23 editions with Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty very short in recent years.
The Champions Mile was worth HK$22m in 2024.
Some notable winners of the Champions Mile include Golden Sixty (2021/2022/2023), Beauty Generation (2018/2019), Maurice (2016), Able Friend (2015), Dan Excel (2013), Xtension (2011/2012), Able One (2007/2010), Good Ba Ba (2008), Bullish Luck (2005/2006), Electronic Unicorn (2003) and Jeune King Prawn (2002).
The 2024 Champions Mile was won by Beauty Eternal from Red Lion and Voyage Bubble.
Previous Champions Mile Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
BEAUTY ETERNAL
(AUS)
5G STARSPANGLEDBANNER (AUS) - ITHACAN QUEEN (NZ) SAVABEEL (AUS) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 11 |
|
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
7G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 6 |
|
|
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 | 5 |
|
|
SOUTHERN LEGEND
(AUS)
7G NOT A SINGLE DOUBT (AUS) - DONNA'S APPEAL (AUS) CARNEGIE (IRE) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | C FOWNES | 5 |
|
|
BEAUTY GENERATION
(NZ)
6G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 2 |
|
|
BEAUTY GENERATION
(NZ)
5G ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - STYLISH BEL (AUS) BEL ESPRIT (AUS) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 1 |
|
|
CONTENTMENT
(AUS)
6G HUSSONET (USA) - JEMISON (AUS) COMMANDS (AUS) |
B PREBBLE | 57.0 | JOHN SIZE | 1 |
|
|
MAURICE
(JPN)
5H SCREEN HERO (JPN) - MEJIRO FRANCES (JPN) CARNEGIE (IRE) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | N HORI | 6 |
|
|
ABLE FRIEND
(AUS)
5G SHAMARDAL (USA) - PONTE PICCOLO (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 2 |
|
|
VARIETY CLUB
(SAF)
5H VAR (USA) - LA MASSINE (SAF) SECRET PROSPECTOR (USA) |
ANTON MARCUS | 57.0 | M F DE KOCK | 12 |
|
|
DAN EXCEL
(IRE)
5G SHAMARDAL (USA) - LOVE EXCELLING (FR) POLISH PRECEDENT (USA) |
WEICHONG MARWING | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 1 |
|
|
XTENSION
(IRE)
5H XAAR (GB) - GREAT JOY (IRE) GRAND LODGE (USA) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 8 |
|
|
XTENSION
(IRE)
4H XAAR (GB) - GREAT JOY (IRE) GRAND LODGE (USA) |
D BEADMAN | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 7 |
|
|
ABLE ONE
(NZ)
7G CAPE CROSS (IRE) - GARDENIA (NZ) DANEHILL (USA) |
D BEADMAN | 58.0 | JOHN MOORE | 8 |
|
|
SIGHT WINNER
(NZ)
5G FALTAAT (USA) - KINJINETTE (NZ) KINJITE (NZ) |
B PREBBLE | 58.0 | JOHN SIZE | 9 |
|
|
GOOD BA BA
(USA)
6G LEAR FAN (USA) - ELLE MEME (USA) ZILZAL (USA) |
O DOLEUZE | 58.0 | ANDREAS SCHUTZ | 4 |
|
|
ABLE ONE
(NZ)
4G CAPE CROSS (IRE) - GARDENIA (NZ) DANEHILL (USA) |
M KINANE | 58.0 | JOHN MOORE | 7 |
|
|
BULLISH LUCK
(USA)
7G ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) - WILD VINTAGE (USA) ALYSHEBA (USA) |
B PREBBLE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 2 |
|
|
BULLISH LUCK
(USA)
6G ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) - WILD VINTAGE (USA) ALYSHEBA (USA) |
G MOSSE | 58.0 | A S CRUZ | 2 |
|
|
FIGURES
(OLD)
104G MAROOF (USA) - MERCUROUS (NZ) PRECISE END (JPN) |
T MUNDRY | 58.0 | D OUGHTON | 8 |
|
|
ELECTRONIC UNICORN
(USA)
7H HOUSEBUSTER (USA) - LILAC GARDEN (USA) |
R FRADD | 58.0 | JOHN SIZE | 1 |
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