Macau casino mogul has no doubts his charge is a worthy Horse of the Year
The Champions & Chater Cup presentation was barely over when Stanley Ho Hung-sun began zeroing in on his next personal goal - making sure his dual Group One winner Viva Pataca becomes Horse of the Year.
Viva Pataca ($34) presented the best possible case for his elevation to annual championship honours, sweeping past a high-quality Group One line-up to add the Champions & Chater Cup (2,400 metres) to his earlier victory in the $14 million Hong Kong Derby.
In dazzling crescendo to John Moore's 'vintage season', Viva Pataca had a fraction too much brilliance for favourite Best Gift (Brett Prebble) and posted a margin of three-quarters of a length. The Tony Cruz-trained Super Combed stormed home late to snatch third away from Super Kid to deny Moore the rare distinction of training all three placegetters in a Group One race.
Ho, the octogenarian Macau casino mogul, was in rare form after his four-year-old's victory and began urging his many friends and followers to vote for Viva Pataca as Hong Kong's most popular horse, as well as Horse of the Year.
'I am very happy that Viva Pataca has been able to come back to win this big race after his defeat last start [in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup],' Ho said. 'I have already booked a big party in Sheung Wan tonight to celebrate the Derby win. Now we have won a second Group One, so we have even more reason to celebrate. This is truly double happiness.'