Two class middle-distance stars are battling for top spot in the Hong Kong Mile 2019 betting odds for Sunday at Sha Tin with Indy Champ the firming favourite to defeat last year’s champion Beauty Generation.

Jockey Damian Lane rides the favourite Indy Champ in Sunday’s Hong Kong Mile 2019. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The third of four elite level races on the Hong Kong International Race Day card on the weekend, this season’s HK$25 million Hong Kong Mile (1600m) features a star-studded field of 10.

Currently it is Silk Racing’s Indy Champ on top of the Hong Kong Mile odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, the four-year-old Stay Gold stallion to be ridden by Damian Lane from a gun barrier three draw.

Following Wednesday night’s barrier draw, Indy Champ firmed into $3.10 (from $3.20) in Hong Kong Mile betting with the big danger considered to be the defending champion Beauty Generation.

Indy Champ has won five of his past seven starts including a last start victory in Japan’s Mile Championship.

Prepared by John Moore, Road To Rock seven-year-old Beauty Generation meanwhile has amassed over $15 million in career prize money and is also drawn well in barrier five for jockey Zac Purton.

Hong Kong’s two-time reigning Horse of The Year was on fire recently winning 10 straight races including the latest two editions of the Hong Kong Mile before things went amiss.

He comes into the race on the back of successive losses including a third last time out in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mile.

The stable will now be hoping Beauty Generation can bounce back and add a record-equalling third Hong Kong Mile win to the record to join Good Ba Ba (2007-09) as the race’s only other three-time champion.

“Zac said don’t worry about that run, he’ll come back,” Moore told the media this week.

“He said we just need to tweak something to make sure on the big day that he’ll kick. We just need to find out what, because he’s not finding that usual kick.”

John Size saddles up the other best in what is an open Hong Kong Mile betting market with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mile winner Waikuku ($4.40) in the outside alley (10) for Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira.

Despite having beaten the best last start, Size remains wary of a return-to-form from Beauty Generation as his runner steps-up to Group 1 grade on Sunday.

“Beauty Generation will still have his fans and he’s going to run under different circumstances on the big day, so I think he’ll probably hold his place,” Size told The New York Times.

“He’ll be the horse to beat again.”

Tony Cruz’s rails-drawn Ka Ying Star ($9) and Japanese three-year-old Admire Mars ($9) are also at single-figure Hong Kong Mile odds this season.

Click here for the latest 2019 Hong Kong Mile betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

Hong Kong Mile 2019 Field & Barriers