The five-year-old hot favourite gave trainer John Moore his second victory in the big race as he had won it in 2011 with Able One. The pacemaker Gold Fun kept on well for second. The Japanese pair Grand Prix Boss and World Ace were next best ahead of last year’s winner Glorious Days.

However, Moore and Moreira were not yet finished as they then won the Gr 1 HK $25 million Longines Hong Kong Cup over 2000m with another local horse and hot favourite, Designs on Rome, who won comfortably from Military Attack, Criterion, Cirrus Des Aigles and Helene Super Star. South African ex-patriot jockey Douglas Whyte finished runner up in three of the Gr 1s he rode in on the day.

Designs On Rome – Joao Moreira (Liesl King)

In the HK$ 18,5 million Hong Kong Sprint over 1200m the Paul O’Sullivan-trained second favourite Aerovelocity made virtually all the running under Zac Purton to hold off Whyte’s mount, the Tony Cruz-trained rising three-year-old star and race favourite Peniaphobia.

Earlier the great French trainer Andre Fabre landed favouritism in the Gr 1 $HK 16,5 million Hong Kong Gold Vase over 2400m with his four-year-old British-bred Dansili colt Flintshire, who was ridden by Maxime Guyon. He just held off the fancied Cruz and Whyte partnered Willie Cazals by a neck. Whyte’s third Gr 1 second was on the Richard Gibson-trained Gold Fun in the Mile.

Pictures: Liesl King