Background
& History
Introduced by Stewards of the Club to encourage
local owners to import top class stayers, the Hong Kong International
Vase was introduced as a third international race in December 1994.
Always contested over 2400m, the race was accorded Gr.2 status in 1996
and became a Gr.1 in 2000. Tthe Vase is valued at
HK$14m.
A track record time of 2 min 25:1 sec marked the first edition of the
Vase, won by 12/1 chance Red Bishop for French-based trainer John Hammond
and jockey Cash Asmussen; another record was set by the 2.8 lengths
margin of victory.
Another French-trained runner, Partipral, lifted the title
in 1995 before Luso, trained in England by Clive Brittain,
went on land successive Vases. The second time the son of Salse was
victorious, he won at the very cramped odds of 1.4 (2/5 favourite) under
Mick Kinane. It was Frankie Dettori who was in the saddle in 1996 and
Luso is the only horse to have won the Vase more than once.
Hong Kong's only Vase victory arrived when Indigenous, one
of the most best and consistent horses ever to grace Sha Tin, got home
by a neck from Darazari for multiple champion jockey Douglas
Whyte and training maestro Ivan Allan. Victory here earned him a nice
portion of his career earnings of HK$45 million and helped secure his
only Horse of the Year crown.
Formerly trained in Germany where she defeated the colts to land the
Deutsches Derby, the top class racemare Borgia rounded off
an excellent international career by proving a shade too strong for
Bimbola at odds of 23/1 to give her perennial French champion
trainer Andre Fabre his sole win to date at the CXHKIR.
Daliapour's cosy win in 2000 vindicated his purchase from the
Aga Khan only weeks earlier by Robert Ng Chee-siong, the Singaporean
property tycoon. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Daliapour was
ridden by Johnny Murtagh to cap a memorable year for the jockey when
he won 12 Gr.1 races worldwide.
A very exciting renewal followed when Stay Gold ground down
Ekraar in the final strides of the 2001 Vase. The story of
the race was how Frankie Dettori tried to steal the race on Ekraar
halfway down the backstretch and was four lengths clear turning for
home. However, Yutaka Take, riding the classy Japanese horse, bided
his time and was able to wear the Godolphin hope in the shadows of the
post.
Then France's dominance of the Vase continued. Ange Gabriel,
ridden by Thierry Jarnet for trainer Eric Libaud, defeated Aquarelliste
in 2002 and 12 months later Vallee Enchantee (Dominque Boeuf,
Elie Lellouche) bested Polish Summer to produce the third French
Vase quinella in five years. Vallee Enchantee became the second
triumph for trainer Lellouche.
In 2004, Phoenix Reach and Sights On Gold, at
odds of 26/1 and 21/1 respectively, tipped a large quinella payout of
HK$1,874. Trained in England by Andrew Balding and ridden by Martin
Dwyer for most of his career, Phoenix Reach was a major global
earner. He was as a Gr.1 winner in Canada a year before this victory
and went on to further international glory in the Dubai Sheema Classic
at his next start.
In the 2005 renewal, dual classic winner of the English & Irish Oaks Ouija Board overcame a less than ideal trip and won going away under Kieren Fallon by 2.75 lengths over Six Sense from Japan and the local trained Best Gift.
Winners of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase
| Year |
Horse Name |
Represent Country |
| 1994 |
Red Bishop (USA) |
FRANCE |
| 1995 |
Partipral (USA) |
FRANCE |
| 1996 |
Luso (GB) |
GB |
| 1997 |
Luso (GB) |
GB |
| 1998 |
Indigenous (IRE) |
HK |
| 1999 |
Borgia (GER) |
FRANCE |
| 2000 |
Daliapour (IRE) |
UK |
| 2001 |
Stay Gold (JPN) |
JAPAN |
| 2002 |
Ange Gabriel (FR) |
FRANCE |
| 2003 |
Vallee Enchantee (IRE) |
FRANCE |
| 2004 |
Phoenix Reach (IRE) |
UK |
| 2005 |
Ouija Board (GB) |
UK |
| 2006 |
Collier Hill (GB) |
GB |
