Vengeance Of Rain is World Series king after Hong Kong Cup win, but owner says no to travelling
Owner Raymond Chow Hon-man has vetoed a tilt at a US$5 million race in Dubai for his newly crowned World Racing champion Vengeance Of Rain, directing trainer David Ferraris to keep Hong Kong's newest star at home.
Chow revealed his decision in the aftermath of an exciting Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin yesterday, a victory that ensured Vengeance Of Rain headed the point score for the 2005 World Racing Championships.
It was a hard-fought victory, too, as Vengeance Of Rain had to dig deep in the final 200 metres to stave off the brave finish of French filly Pride and the admirable British galloper Maraahel, trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
For trainer David Ferraris, who had been four-times champion trainer in South Africa before giving it all up to come to Hong Kong in 2003, the victory was a new pinnacle in a glorious training career.
'For the moment, relief is the major emotion I'm experiencing,' Ferraris said. 'The lead-up to this race has been very intense but as the race came closer, I've never been more confident of winning a big race.'
