Golden Sixty became the highest prize money earner in Hong Kong racing after winning his second HK$20 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) crown at Sha Tin in April this year.

With victory at the showpiece spring meeting, Hong Kong’s equine idol boosted his earnings to HK$113,400,600, overtaking the HK$106,233,750 earned by Beauty Generation.

Golden Sixty has since returned to racing to add the HK$5 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) to his resume and another victory in the HK$30 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 11 December would see the 22-times winner become the third-highest money winner in world racing behind Winx and Arrogate.

In American dollars, Winx sits atop the tree with US$17,489,917 give or take a few “bucks”, depending whenever the currency conversions are done. Arrogate earned US$17,422,600 while Golden Sixty’s earnings would soar to approx. about US$17 million with victory in the Hong Kong Mile (on the conversion at time of writing).

The gap is narrow and thus Hong Kong’s champion miler would become the world’s greatest money winner if he were to return next year and annexe a third straight Champions Mile – a feat which is yet to be achieved.

These money lists can be a touch misleading given the variations in exchange rates, the inclusion or exclusion of bonuses and because the prize money for individual races changes regularly and generally with an increase.

Thus, comparing the earnings of horses even from the modern era is fraught with danger. Nonetheless, it would be a remarkable achievement for the horse and his team of owner Stanley Chan Ka Leung, trainer Francis Lui and jockey Vincent Ho.

In 2019, FWD Champions Mile success for Beauty Generation took his then earnings to HK$84,770,000 (in Hong Kong) to eclipse Viva Pataca’s previous mark of HK$83,197,500.

However, and simply for point of reference, Viva Pataca’s earnings would probably be more than HK$30 million greater had he raced in the past few years rather than between 2006 and 2011 and therefore right in the current ball park of Golden Sixty’s numbers.

His major victories were the Hong Kong Derby, QEII Cup (twice), International Cup Trial now Jockey Club Cup (twice), Hong Kong Gold Cup (twice) and Champions and Chater Cup (thrice). In these races alone, he’d have netted an extra HK$30.8 million based on the prize money increases between then and now (an extra HK$10 million for the Derby; HK$11 million for the QEII; HK$4 million for the Gold Cup and the Champions and Chater Cup and HK$2 million for the Jockey Club Cup).

That would leave his earnings, based on current stakes, at HK$114 million and just shy of Golden Sixty. Factor in his three other wins and 15 seconds and thirds and then, indexed to today, his tally would almost certainly be greater.

So, while Golden Sixty may be on the cusp of absolute greatness as he continues to amass his fortune, for now it might still be just a little case of “Viva” Viva Pataca.

Viva Pataca took the highest money earner mantle from Vengeance Of Rain when he won the 2010 QEII Cup. Vengeance Of Rain had won HK$75,410,500 and just like Viva Pataca, his earnings would have been much greater on today’s money levels (and he won the 2007 Dubai Sheema Classic worth GBP1.5 million).