Japan’s A Shin Hikari swept to victory on Sunday and a prize of HK$14.25 million ($1.84 million) at the Hong Kong International Races, one of the world’s richest meetings.
Veteran jockey Yutaka Take led from the start and finished the course in less than two minutes and one second.
“The horse was in very good condition, so I had much confidence going into the race,” the 46-year-old told reporters afterwards.
“The horse sometimes has a difficult temperament, but he’s in good form so I thought he had a very good chance.”
British star jockey Ryan Moore finished second on another Japanese horse, Nuovo Record. Locally-stabled Blazing Speed, ridden by Irishman Neil Callan, finished third.
Moore said Nuovo Record “ran a cracker” but “the other one was just too good on the day”.
The victory was the first-ever Group One win for four-year-old A Shin Hikari, owned by Eishindo Co Ltd.
The 2,000-meter race, with total prize money of HK$25 million, was the highlight of the four Group One events at the annual meet at Shatin Racecourse.
It was a big day for Japan, which also snapped up the Hong Kong Mile event, another Group One title. In the 1,600-meter race Maurice of Japan, ridden by Moore, beat local rivals Giant Treasure and Able Friend.
Earlier in the day Moore had won the 2,400-meter Hong Kong Vase race with Ireland’s Highland Reel, which defeated last year’s champion Flintshire from France.
Local fans responded joyfully when Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira rode Hong Kong-stabled Peniaphobia to victory in the 1,200-meter Hong Kong Sprint.
“I thank God that I was on board him, he was meant to win the race, the way he’s done things today. He gave me a beautiful ride, he’s so professional,” Moreira said of the horse.
A crowd of more than 85,000 turned out at the haze-shrouded track and total betting turnover was HK$1.449 billion, said organisers the Hong Kong Jockey Club.