The Hong Kong Gold Cup is a Group One Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1979 at Sha Tin Racecourse. It is open to horses three years of age and older. Run on turf, it was initially run over a distance of 1,800 metres, but is now set at 2,000 metres (ten furlongs) and it offers a purse of HK$12,000,000.
| Group 1 race | |
| Location | Sha Tin Racecourse Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1979 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Citibank |
| Website | Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2,000 meters (About 10 furlongs / 1+1⁄4 miles) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
| Weight | 116 lb (3y); 126 lb (4y+) Allowances 4 lb for fillies and mares 3 lb for N. Hemisphere 3-y-o |
| Purse | HK$12,000,000 (2022) |
The second leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown the Group One race comes after the Steward's Cup and is followed by the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup. A HK$5,000,000 bonus is paid to the owner of the horse winning all three legs of the Triple Crown Series and a consolation bonus of HK$2,000,000 will be paid to the owner of the horse winning any two legs.
Hong Kong Champion and former Horse of the Year River Verdon won this race three times and in 1994 became the only horse to ever win the Triple Crown.
Recent winners of the Hong Kong Gold Cup
edit| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
| 1993 | River Verdon | 6 | Basil Marcus | David Hill | Oswald Cheung & Ronald Arculli | 2:01.60 |
| 1994 | River Verdon | 7 | John Marshall | David Hill | Oswald Cheung & Ronald Arculli | 2:03.20 |
| 1995 | Makarpura Star | 4 | Tony Cruz | John Moore | Frank Wong Wing Pak | 2:04.70 |
| 1996 | Makarpura Star | 5 | Felix Coetzee | John Moore | Frank Wong Wing Pak | 2:03.40 |
| 1997 | Deauville | 5 | Eric Saint-Martin | Tony Cruz | Tam Man Wai & Wilson Tam Man Shu | 2:03.10 |
| 1998 | Indigenous | 5 | Basil Marcus | Ivan Allan | Pang Yuen Hing | 2:02.50 |
| 1999 | Indigenous | 6 | Douglas Whyte | Ivan Allan | Pang Yuen Hing | 2:01.30 |
| 2000 | Industrialist | 4 | Alan Munro | Brian Kan Ping-chee | Albert Hu Si Nok & Peter Wong Yau Ming | 2:00.20 |
| 2001 | Idol | 4 | Michael Kinane | David Oughton | Wong Chi Muk | 2:02.10 |
| 2002 | Industrial Pioneer [1] | 5 | Gerald Mosse | Brian Kan Ping-chee | Albert Hu Si Nok, Ngan Keng Hing, Tang Ying Hon & Kenneth Kong | 2:02.40 |
| 2003 | Olympic Express | 5 | Eric Saint-Martin | Ivan Allan | Larry Yung Chi Kin | 2:02.90 |
| 2004 | Bullish Luck | 5 | Felix Coetzee | Tony Cruz | Wong Wing Keung | 2:02.30 |
| 2005 | Perfect Partner | 5 | Christophe Soumillon | Tony Cruz | Gowin Chan/Ringo Ng | 2:06.30 |
| 2006 | Super Kid | 6 | Shane Dye | John Moore | Wong Yuk Kwan | 2:02.80 |
| 2007 | Vengeance of Rain | 6 | Anthony Delpech | David Ferraris | Chow Nam & R. G. Chow Hon Man | 2:04.40 |
| 2008 | Viva Pataca | 6 | Darren Beadman | John Moore | Stanley Ho Hung-Sun | 2:03.90 |
| 2009 | Viva Pataca | 7 | Darren Beadman | John Moore | Stanley Ho Hung-Sun | 2:04.61 |
| 2010 | Collection | 5 | Darren Beadman | John Moore | 07/08 John Moore Trainer Syndicate | 2:01.60 |
| 2011 | California Memory | 5 | Matthew Chadwick | Tony Cruz | Liang Yum Shing | 2:01.61 |
| 2012 | Ambitious Dragon | 5 | Douglas Whyte | Tony Millard | Johnson Lam Pui Hung & Anderson Lam Him Yue | 2:02.88 |
| 2013 | Military Attack | 5 | Zac Purton | John Moore | Mr & Mrs Steven Lo Kit Sing | 2:03.01 |
| 2014 | Military Attack | 6 | João Moreira | John Moore | Mr & Mrs Steven Lo Kit Sing | 2:01.21 |
| 2015 | Designs on Rome | 5 | João Moreira | John Moore | Cheng Keung Fai | 2.01.57 |
| 2016 | Designs on Rome | 6 | Tommy Berry | John Moore | Cheng Keung Fai | 2.01.51 |
| 2017 | Werther | 5 | Hugh Bowman | John Moore | Johnson Chen | 2.03.78 |
| 2018 | Time Warp | 5 | Zac Purton | Tony Cruz | Martin Siu Kim Sun | 1:59.97 |
| 2019 | Exultant | 5 | Zac Purton | Tony Cruz | Eddie Wong Ming Chak & Wong Leung Sau Hing | 2:00.87 |
| 2020 | Time Warp | 7 | João Moreira | Tony Cruz | Martin Siu Kim Sun | 2:02.00 |
| 2021 | Golden Sixty | 5 | Vincent Ho Chak-yiu | Francis Lui Kin-wai | Stanley Chan | 2:00.25 |
| 2022 | Russian Emperor | 5 | Blake Shinn | Douglas Whyte | Mike Cheung Shun Ching | 2:04.11 |
| 2023 | Golden Sixty | 7 | Vincent Ho Chak-yiu | Francis Lui Kin-wai | Stanley Chan | 1:59.98 |
| 2024 | Romantic Warrior | 6 | James McDonald | Danny Shum Chap-shing | Peter Lau Pak Fai | 2:00.31 |
1 The 2002 winner Industrial Pioneer was later exported to Europe and renamed Sobriety.