Highland Reel signs off in style with victory in Longines Hong Kong Vase

In his last start before heading to stud, Highland Reel was challenged by Andre Fabre’s Talismanic but held on for a seventh Group One victory in his farewell race.

This last outing for the famed five year old horse could not have been scripted any better as old adversary Talismanic loomed up menacingly while Highland Reel was responding gallantly to jockey Ryan Moore having taken the lead at the top of the final straight.

Talismanic challenged but was unable to make an impact as Highland Reel strode clear and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line and was pulling away again after being given an aggressive ride from Moore.

Japan’s Tosen Basil finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Talismanic, while Ralph Beckett’s Chemical Charge fared best of the British raiders in fourth.

This was a second Hong Kong Vase for Highland Reel, who won in 2015 and was only narrowly denied last year, and he ends his career having won more prize-money than any horse trained in Europe, with this success taking his haul to £7.4 million.

This seventh top-level success marked the end of an incredible journey, encompassing four seasons in training and 13 starts outside Britain and Ireland, with journeys to the likes of Australia, Dubai and the USA.

The victory extended trainer Aidan O’Brien’s world record tally of Group One wins in a year to 28.

“This is a really fitting way for him to finish,” said Moore. “He’s been a brilliant racehorse and there’s plenty to look forward to at stud now.
“We thought the longer straight here would help. He’s a very, very good horse, his record shows that, and it’s been a delight to be a part of [his career].”

Elsewhere on the card at Sha Tin, Time Warp completed a great week for jockey Zac Purton by putting up a powerful display when winning the Longines Hong Kong Cup.

Purton, who on Wednesday won the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley, sent the Tony Cruz-trained Time Warp straight into the lead and did not see another rival as he exploded clear down the straight to register a highly impressive two-and-a-quarter-length success in front of hot favourite Werther in second and Neorealism in third.

The poor recent record of the British and Irish representatives in the Longines Hong Kong Mile continued as Lancaster Bomber, Roly Poly and Lightning Spear all failed behind the John Moore-trained Beauty Generation, who won under a well-judged front-running ride from Derek Leung.

Beauty Generation was a good starter before bursting clear to establish a decisive advantage in the straight, ensuring the British and Irish barren run, which stretches back to 2004, would not be broken.

Leung was understandably delighted at registering his first international Group 1 win, as Beauty Generation came in a length clear of Western Express in second and Helene Paragon in third.

Mr Stunning led home a one-two for trainer John Size in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint, much to the delight of winning jockey Nash Rawiller.

Mr Stunning, one of four runners for Size, was sent off one of the favourites to add to a recent pair of course-and-distance victories, and he dug deep under pressure to repel stablemate D B Pin by a neck, in front of Blizzard in third.

French challenger Signs Of Blessing was the only European raider and he cut little ice while Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal failed to show his best in the hands of British champion Silvestre de Sousa.

Swiss watchmaker Longines was title partner and official timekeeper of the 2017 Longines Hong Kong International Races for the sixth consecutive years, and presented Longines timepieces to all the winners.