The Japanese drew first blood on Hong Kong International Race Day filling three of the first four places in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.
Joao Moreira was second in the race last year on the star Japanese mare Lys Gracieux (JPN) who was nosed out by Exultant but he made no mistake this year on the appropriately named Deep Impact 4-yearold-entire Glory Vase (JPN).
Coming from midfield, Moreira threaded a passage between runners to strike the front 200 metres out to defeat fellow Japanese runner Lucky Lilac (JPN) (Orfevre) by three and half lengths with a head back to last year’s hero Exultant (IRE) (Teofilo) who denied a Japanese trifecta by edging Deirdre (JPN) for third.
“Just before I turned for home, I found myself in a trap, which meant I had to ride him for luck and try sneak up the inside,” Moreira told The Racing Post.
“I was hoping a gap would come and fortunately it did. When I got the split, he just dashed through.
"From the 350-metre pole I knew I was the winner as I felt I had loads of horse under me. He was attacking the line like a really good horse.
“He's got such a big engine, such a big heart. It was a pleasure to ride him."
It was the first win at the highest level for the Tomohito Ozeki-trained colt who won the Group II Nikkei Shinshun Hai at Kyoto and was runner-up in the Tenno Sho (Spring).
By the legendary Deep Impact, Glory Vase is the best of two winners from three to race out of the 4-time winner Swept Overboard mare Mejiro Tsubone.
Mejiro Tsubone has a 2yo colt by Deep Impact named Hanabi Mankai and a yearling filly by Maurice (JPN).
