World News – AU – The impressive Mughal wins the Hong Kong Vase in Sha Tin

The Mogul ridden by Ryan Moore wins the Hong Kong Vase international horse race in Sha Tin. Photo: Getty Images

Aidan O’Brien ended his 2020 campaign with a 15th. Group 1 win of the year as Mughal emerged as the formidable Hong Kong Vase winner on Sunday morning in Sha Tin.

Jockey Ryan Moore led the royally bred colt to a decisive defeat for local star Exultant in the one and a half mile competition.

Later on the international carnival map, O’Brien’s star mare Magical came third in the Hong Kong Cup and after that the master trainer did not rule out that both horses could continue to race in 2021.

Mogul was confirmed as a racing driver at the age of four and reduced to 12: 1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next season.

After O’Brien had already postponed his broodmare career, he could not rule out that Magical was still on the track as a six-year-old.

“The guys (Coolmore owners) talk to each other a week or 10 days after the race about what they want to do. Then they will talk to us and decide.

« She looks great after the race and seems to have raised the sound. I suppose we’ll take them home and see what the boys want to do, « O’Brien reported from his Ballydoyle base on Sunday.

« She would be a mare for next year. If she gets home safely and everything is fine, we would love to have her, but it will be the guys decision, ”he added.

If she continues, Magical will have the opportunity to earn an eighth career win that would make her the most successful Group 1 horse in O’Brien’s stellar career.

She has scored three top-level goals this year – including her epic loss to Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes in September – which is the same as her classic winning stable mate Love.

Mogul’s success brought O’Brien’s Group 1 to 15 for the turbulent year. The Irishman set a world record of 28 top-class victories in 2017.

It was a third win in the vase for O’Brien and Moore, who teamed up with Highland Reel twice in 2015 and 2017.

Moore, who later completed a “slam” of the four top races of the Carnival in a sprint aboard the Japanese horse Danon Smash, was particularly impressed by Mogul’s performance.

« He’s a horse we’ve always expected a lot from. He was a good two year old and won his Group 2 race at Leopardstown. I don’t know, maybe it took him a while to really pull himself together.

“Maybe he was just a little behind Derby Day (sixth in Serpentine) and we were always on our back feet. He was super impressive winning in Paris (Grand Prix de Paris) and his Breeders ‘Cup run (fifth behind Tarnawa in Breeders’ Cup Turf) was not without merit.

« Today the race went well for him, he hit a really solid benchmark in Exultant. He (cheering) always seems to be consistently at the same level and never had a bad race here. He put it away very nicely, ”said the Englishman.

« In reality, I was ahead earlier than would have been ideal today, but it got me there well. He may lack focus when he’s up front, but he’s a beautiful looking horse.

« He has a fantastic mind and it doesn’t stress him. He will be a really nice four year old, ”he added.

The third Ballydoyle runner on the map, Order of Australia, couldn’t increase its Schock Breeders Cup success and ended up behind the local star Golden Sixty in the Mile.

The other Irish contender, Ken Condons Romanized, failed to shoot the last time he started his career and finished the last of the 10 runners.

Monday – Sunday, 7. – 13. December

Horse Racing, Hong Tin Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racetrack, Zac Purton, Aidan O’Brien, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Ryan Moore