Gold Cup ? Race Details:
When:	February
Track Location:	Sha Tin Racecourse
Race Distance:	2000m
Race Status:	Group 1
Race Conditions:	Three-year-olds thoroughbreds and older ? Open sex at Set Weights
Stakes:	HK$8million
Inaugurated:	1979

The Hong Kong Gold Cup is one of the premier thoroughbred races in the country. It is a Group 1 event and the second race in the coveted Hong Kong Triple Crown for three-year-olds. Raced over a distance of 2000m on a turf track at the Sha Tin Racecourse in February each year, stakes are set at HK$8million. First run in 1979 the race distance was originally 1800m but was later increased.

Many horses who have just contested the first Hong Kong Triple Crown race, the Stewards? Cup, will be found in the field for the Gold Cup as they attempt to become only the second horse ever to claim Triple Crown success. It is a good idea to watch the runners in this earlier event as an indication for the Stewards? Cup.

There have been a number of horses to win multiple Gold Cups including Indigenous (1998 & 1999), Viva Pataca (2008 & 2009) and not forgetting champion former Horse of the Year River Verdon who won this race three times, and became the only Triple Crown winner in 1994. So when making your selections for the race it can be worth looking at the defending champions. Although over the years the Gold Cup has been renowned for its upset wins, Viva Pataca winning the race as the favourite for the last two years has bought on a new trend for the punters to consider.

Following the Gold Cup, the strongest and most in form runners will continue on to the last leg of the Triple Crown, the Champions & Chater Cup with the hopes of keeping their Triple Crown dreams alive and living up to the challenge of this third, increased distance race.

Gold Cup ? Division of the Stakes:

All amounts in Hong Kong dollars.
1st – $4 560 000
2nd – $1 760 000
3rd – $920 000
4th – $480 000
5th – $280 000

Gold Cup ? Recent Race Results:

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2009	Viva Pataca	Darren Beadman	John Moore	Stanley Ho Hung-Sun	2:04.61
2008	Viva Pataca	Darren Beadman	John Moore	Stanley Ho Hung-Sun	2:03.90
2007	Vengeance of Rain	Anthony Delpech	David E. Ferraris	Chow Nam & R.G. Chow Hon Man	2:04.40
2006	Super Kid	Shane Dye	John Moore	Wong Yuk Kwan	2:02.80
2005	Perfect Partner	Christophe Soumillon	Tony Cruz	Gowin C.S. Tseng/Ringo N.Y.Kwok	2:06.30
2004	Bullish Luck	Felix Coetzee	Tony Cruz	Wong Wing Keung	2:02.30
2003	Olympic Express	Weichong Marwing	Ivan W. Allan	Larry Yung Chi Kin	2:02.90
2002	Industrial Pioneer	Gerald Mosse	Brian Kan Ping-chee	Albert Hu Si Nok et.al.	2:02.40
2001	Idol	Michael Kinane	David Oughton	Wong Chi Muk	2:02.10
2000	Industrialist	Alan Munro	Brian Kan Ping-chee	Albert Hu Si Nok/Peter W.Y.Ming	2:00.20
1999	Indigenous	Douglas Whyte	Ivan W. Allan	Pang Yuen Hing	2:01.30
1998	Indigenous	Baqsil Marcus	Ivan W. Allan	Pang Yuen Hing	2:02.50