With champion galloper Golden Sixty retired, mixed results in Sha Tin’s lead-up races and a host of quality overseas raiders lining up, this year’s Group One Longines Hong Kong Mile promises to be one of the most open editions in years.

Golden Sixty won the international day feature a record-equalling three times, with his breathtaking victory from barrier 14 last year one of the most memorable Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) performances of all time.

In his absence, Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s progressive galloper Galaxy Patch was anointed as Hong Kong’s next star miler after his superb first-up win in the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) last month.

However, his grip on Hong Kong Mile favouritism weakened when he could only manage third in last Sunday’s Group Two Jockey Club Mile after a wide run for most of the race.

Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) victor Voyage Bubble turned the tables on Galaxy Patch, proving he would be a Hong Kong Mile force with victory in Sunday’s feature under superstar jockey James McDonald.

Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s stable star ran second to Golden Sixty in the race 12 months ago.

Six internationals are bound for the HK$36 million contest, including four Group One winners from different countries.

Australian miler Antino, raced by Hong Kong-based owner Jeetu Ramchandani, will have strong claims after an outstanding campaign in Melbourne.

The Tony Gollan-trained gelding broke through for a deserved win at the elite level in the Toorak Handicap (1,600m) at Caulfield, scoring by a massive six and a half lengths after an inspired mid-race move by jockey Blake Shinn.

He also finished a closing second to Mr Brightside in the Group One Champions Mile at Flemington and third in both the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes (1,600m) and Group One Feehan Stakes (1,600m) at Moonee Valley.

Japan’s Soul Rush clinched his second trip to Hong Kong with a dominant victory in last Sunday’s Group One Mile Championship at Kyoto racecourse, with May’s Group One NHK Mile Cup victor Jantar Mantar joining him from the Land of the Rising Sun.

French three-year-old Lazzat is another strong foreign raider, fresh from a close second in the Golden Eagle (1,500m) at Rosehill on November 2.

The Jerome Reynier-trained gelding was unbeaten from six starts before that Golden Eagle effort, capped by a three-length romp in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August.

He was the first of this year’s HKIR internationals to arrive, landing on Tuesday morning along with Docklands, who tackles the Hong Kong Mile for British trainer Harry Eustace, the brother of first-season Hong Kong handler David.

Docklands ran fifth to Via Sistina in last month’s Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) at Moonee Valley. Group Two winner Ramadan is Britain’s other mile contender.

Rounding out the local contingent are Beauty Eternal, Beauty Joy, Happy Together, Red Lion, Chancheng Glory and Taj Dragon.