De Sousa guides Glorious Forever to Longines Hong Kong Cup win at Sha Tin

The jockey, who won Wednesday’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday at Happy Valley also in Hong Kong, steered his mount to victory by a length and in doing so provided trainer Frankie Lor with a memorable double on the day.

De Sousa has shown himself to be an astute judge of pace in races such as this and he guided Glorious Forever into the lead with his brother Time Warp shadowing him in second.

At the top of the home straight, De Sousa kicked on Glorious Forever and he was always holding Time Warp who finished third. Race favourite Deirdre came home strongly late on to take second and spoil the family forecast, but could not deny Glorious Forever.

De Sousa said: “I didn’t want them to take the race away from me so I had to make it a true gallop. He was happy to travel in front, from there I just had to get the fractions right.”

The double for Lor came thanks to the aptly-named Mr Stunning landed back-to-back victories in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint.

This time it was Karis Teetan in the saddle and the pair came in three-quarters of a length in front of D B Pin in second and Beat The Clock in third.

Teetan said: “This is incredible. I had a lovely run through and I was so happy with the way he was travelling.

“His preparation went so well. He was travelling so smoothly, he’s improved from his last start and he’s done it before – he’s a good horse.”

The John Moore-trained Beauty Generation produced a stunning performance to win the Longines Hong Kong Mile.

Ridden by Zac Purton, Having been, Beauty Generation had initially been trapped wide until just before the straight when he was eased over to the front. After rounding the turn , the winner glided away from his rivals to win comfortably by three lengths. Vivlos edged second from Southern Legend in third.

One again the hope of the European contingent failed to make much impact, with One Master eighth, Beat The Bank beating three home and Inns Of Court last.

Speaking afterwards, Purton said, “He’s a beast.

“He’s shown that this season. I’m just happy for the horse as there’s so much expectation on him.

“I knew he’d do that today, I knew they couldn’t beat him.”

Purton was also in the saddle as the Tony Cruz-trained Exultant took out the Longines Hong Kong Vase

Exultant battled on gamely to deny Japan’s Lys Gracieux as once again the European runners disappointed.
Formerly trained in Ireland when known as Irishcorrespondent, Exultant went for home at the top of the straight and Purton just had enough to repel his old foe Joao Moreira in the closing stages to win by a neck.

The European’s struggled to get involved with Waldgeist fifth, Rostropovich seventh, Prince Of Arran eighth, Salouen ninth, Latrobe 11th, Red Verdon 13th and Mirage Dancer was last.

Purton said: “He’s an out-and-out stayer and I thought I was better off putting him on the pace against a quality field and letting him grind it out.

“If he’s going to get into a fight over the last 200 metres over a trip like this you want to be on him.”

The Longines Hong Kong International Races is an event hosted annually in early December by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. With prestige Swiss watchmaker Longines as the official sponsor and timekeeper of the event, the ten race card features four of most prestigious horse races in Hong Kong – Longines Hong Kong Cup, Longines Hong Kong Sprint, Longines Hong Kong Vase and Longines Hong Kong Mile.