Mogul shines in Vase as Ryan Moore notches Group One double at Sha Tin

Vindicating Aidan O’Brien’s long-held faith, Mogul emphatically underlined claims as heir apparent to Ballydoyle’s throne when claiming victory in the HK$20 million Longines Hong KongVase.

Providing Aidan O’Brien’s third triumph in the race, adding to Highland Reel’s 2015 and 2017 wins, Mogul downed Hong Kong champion Exultant and Columbus County to also give Ryan Moore his third Vase success.

Yet another son of Galileo, Mogul has long been touted as the next world-beater to emerge from O’Brien’s yard and proved his class by overwhelming Exultant, a five-time Group One winner and Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year.

While elated at notching his sixth Longines Hong Kong International Races victory, Moore was unsurprised by the quality of Mogul’s performance.

“He’s a horse that we always expected a lot from,” Moore said.

“He was a good two-year-old, he won his G2 race (Champions Juvenile Stakes) at Leopardstown. I don’t know, maybe just the way the season unfolded, he took a while to really pull himself together.

“Maybe he was just a bit behind Derby Day (when sixth to Serpentine) and we were always on the back foot. He was super impressive when he won in Paris (Grand Prix de Paris) and his Breeders’ Cup run (fifth behind Tarnawa in the Breeders’ Cup Turf) wasn’t without merit.

“Today, the race worked out nicely for him, he’s beaten a really solid yardstick in Exultant. He (Exultant) always seems to consistently perform to the same level and never seems to run a bad race around here.

“He’s put them away very nicely.

“In reality, I was in front sooner than would have been ideal today but he took me there nicely.

“When he gets in front, he maybe lacks a bit of concentration still but he’s a beautiful looking horse.

“He’s got a fantastic mind and it doesn’t stress him. He’ll be a really nice three-year-old.”

Owned by Coolmore, Mogul’s laidback mindset lends itself to another international campaign as a four-year-old.

“He has a great mind, so travelling won’t stress him. He loves decent ground,” Moore said.

“I think a few times the ground was made a little bit against him. Maybe even in America, the pace was wrong but the ground might have been loose enough.

“At York, the ground might have been deep enough for him that day.

“These fast, flat tracks suit him. They let him show what class he has.”

Moore first travelled to Hong Kong in 2001 as a teenager.

“I’ve always loved coming to Hong Kong. I came here when I was 18 and they were doing the breeze up sale and I’ve always loved coming here,” he said.

“I hadn’t even rode as an apprentice then and I remember coming here and watching Douglas (Whyte) ride all the winners.

“It was a different time but it was always a great atmosphere and you know how much it means to the punters here. They love their racing and it will be great to have them back here.

“It’s fantastic racing and competitive racing. It’s been a shame I wasn’t able to get over here earlier this year but hopefully we can come again.

“The year for everyone has been a mess but we’re very thankful to everyone at the Hong Kong Jockey Club for getting me over. It’s been a big effort and I can’t really stress enough the time they’ve put in.

“We’re very thankful to get us over here.”

Golden Sixty registered an 11th straight victory in the Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.

Francis Lui’s stable star was unsurprisingly all the rage to extended his winning streak in the hands of regular partner Vincent Ho.

The five-year-old did not enjoy the perfect trip, as he was stuck wide for much of the race, but Golden Sixty proved his class with an ultimately emphatic success.

The five-year-old was nearer last than first rounding the home turn, but soon found top gear to reel in the leaders before powering two lengths clear with relative ease – his 14th victory from 15 career starts overall.

Southern Legend beat Admire Mars to the runner-up spot, with Aidan O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia ultimately well beaten in sixth and the Ken Condon-trained Romanised last of the 10 runners.

Ryan Moore landed the Hong Kong Sprint aboard Takayuki Yasuda’s Danon Smash.

The Japanese challenger hit the front inside the final furlong and held the challenge of unconsidered outsider Jolly Banner at bay by half a length, with Rattan not far behind in third.

Aidan O’Brien’s Magical could finish only third as Normcore claimed top honours in the Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.

Magical looked set for retirement after rounding off her 2019 campaign with victory in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

However, she was brought back as five-year-old this season and it has proved a wise decision, with the daughter of Galileo claiming another three Group One wins to extend her top-level tally to seven.

Since successfully defending her crown in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September, Magical had finished third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and second to Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

She was well fancied to provide O’Brien with a first Hong Kong Cup success, but was under pressure before the home turn under Ryan Moore – and while she boxed on tenaciously in the straight, she had to make do with minor honours.

Normcore, trained by Kiyoshi Hagiwara and ridden by Zac Purton, delivered his challenge wide and finished best to win with by three-quarters of a length and with a little in hand.

Magical was only narrowly denied the runner-up spot by last year’s winner Win Bright.

“She ran a stormer,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.

“She had a tough race in Ascot in bad ground and we backed her up in Keeneland, again on slowish ground. Doing something like that can maybe take a little bit of the edge off.

“She ran very well today and ran home very well, but she was a little bit lacklustre from the gates and in the first half of the race.

“We saw how genuine she is – she’s an unbelievable filly really”

Asked whether Magical would now be retired, O’Brien added: “The lads (owners) will chat between themselves what they want to do for a week or 10 days after the race. Then they’ll talk to us and decide.

“She looks great after the race and seems to have pulled up sound. I suppose we’ll take her home and see what the lads want to do.

“She would be some mare to have for next year. If she comes home well and everything is well, we’d love to have her (in training next year), but it will be the lads’ decision.”