Golden Sixty is poised for the toughest test of his career in Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Mile and the reigning Horse of the Year showed on Monday morning he doesn’t plan to be pushed around by anyone this week – not even jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu.

Ho, who has ridden the star galloper in all 19 of his starts for 18 wins, was visiting Golden Sixty in the stable and got more than he bargained for after the six-year-old popped his head out to say hello.

“I was outside his box and I wasn’t really paying attention and he just put his head over and I sort of just touched his nose to push him away and he just nipped my fingers,” Ho said.

“I’ve just lost a little bit of skin, that’s all. But I’m all good, it’s not a problem – if I remember correctly he’s done it before one or two times, he’s always been like this so it’s normal.”

While the incident won’t impact what will be a massive week for Ho with the International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) and four Group One rides to come, he will skip Tuesday morning’s trials to ensure he is top nick come Wednesday night at Happy Valley.

“I will gallop two in the morning, including Golden Sixty, but that’s it,” Ho said, confirming Francis Lui Kin-wai’s star miler could not be in better shape.

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“I galloped him twice last week and I’ll work him tomorrow and he’s ready to go.”

Ho partners Faribault, More Than Enough, The Anomaly and Wood On Fire in the IJC and also jumps aboard Seaweed Fortune, Cordyceps One and Fa Fa at the midweek meeting, with the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained Fa Fa shooting for his fifth straight win in the Class Two United Kingdom Handicap (1,800m).

Ho then turns his attention to Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong International Races, where Stronger (Hong Kong Sprint), Berlin Tango (Cup) and Stay Foolish (Vase) join Golden Sixty as his Group One rides.