Hong Kong stayer Dominant has upset a field of global stars to win the Vase on International day at Sha Tin.
Five of the recent Melbourne Cup runners, including the minor placegetters Red Cadeaux and Mount Athos, were in the world class line-up which also boasted English mare The Fugue who started favourite.
But they were thwarted by a heady ride from ex-pat Australian Zac Purton on the John Moore-trained gelding who beat The Fugue by three-quarters of a length.
Dominant - Photo by Daniel Costello
Dunaden, winner of the 2011 Melbourne Cup and 2012 Caulfield Cup, finished third after getting a rails run while Red Cadeaux, the Vase winner a year ago, was a courageous fourth after being posted three and four-wide throughout the 2400m race.
The Fugue, who is owned by Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber and trained by John Gosden, was better than midfield early but got shuffled back and had to make up a lot of ground in the straight.
But Dominant also had much to do with Purton bringing him from last before the turn.
“I probably got there a bit soon,” Purton said.
“But everything on my inside was getting cluttered up and I thought I was better off out there.”
There was no such upset in the International Sprint (1200m) with Japanese superstar Lord Kanaloa defending his title in breathtaking fashion at what was his swan song.
Ridden by 2006 Melbourne Cup winning jockey Yasunari Iwata, Lord Kanaloa took control midway down the straight and stretched out to win by five lengths from Irish visitor Sole Power.
Lord Kanaloa will stand at stud next year.
Hong Kong’s best sprinter Lucky Nine, who finished second to Buffering in the Manikato Stakes during the Melbourne spring carnival, lost his chance when he reared up coming out of the barriers.