Oriental Express' victory must confirm the future of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup as a vitally important race in the Hong Kong calendar.
There was sheer and genuine delight when Oriental Express became the first Hong Kong horse to win the spring showpiece and keep the major prize of $3.1 million at home. It was little wonder that the director of racing, Philip Johnston, said that the win was vital for the future of the race itself.
His successor-in-waiting, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, was also making the right noises on the eve of the race and the Jockey Club's chief executive, Lawrence Wong, weighed in after Sunday's historic event.
Wong pointed to the race's place in the calendar and said that a major race like the QE II Cup gave a lift to the latter part of the season - and is an important event at which owners and trainers could safely aim their best horses.
Oriental Express demonstrated that Hong Kong horses can keep the major prizes at home and must have boosted the expressed wish of the chairman of stewards, Wong Chung-hin, that local owners should spend more and buy the best.
In its initial year, the QE II Cup seemed to suffer by unfair comparison with the International Races and the feeling was that it did not receive total support from within the Jockey Club.