Class prevailed as short-priced favourite Rapper Dragon came away to score a dominant victory in Sunday’s HK$10 million Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin.

Big-race trainer John Moore had seven of the 14 runners, but it was his heavyweight who stood above them all.

Rapper Dragon showed his credentials for the four-year-old series last season, winning four races, including the Group Three Lion Rock Trophy.

He entered the race with a rating of 114, 14 points clear of his nearest rival while meeting them all at level weights and it proved the difference.

Star jockey Joao Moreira settled Rapper Dragon just off the speed, before launching in the straight and spearing to the front, beating the fast-finishing Seasons Bloom (Nash Rawiller) by two lengths and stablemate Beauty Generation (Zac Purton) was third.

One-time boom horse Pakistan Star jumped very well and settled closer than he has in any of his previous starts, but over-raced a touch during the middle stages to finish fifth.

The result sets the stage for Rapper Dragon to have a serious crack at sweeping the series with the Classic Cup (1,800m) and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) next on the agenda.

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