Vengeance Of Rain the world champion after Cathay Pacific HK Cup success

11 December 2005

Displaying class and grit in equal measure to triumph in the HK$18m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup, Vengeance Of Rain became the first Hong Kong-trained horse to win the World Racing Championship before an enthralled Sha Tin on Sunday.

The odds-on favourite Vengeance Of Rain, trained by David Ferraris and ridden by Anthony Delpech, got first run off a steady tempo and had enough in reserve to fend off the late thrust of Pride by a neck and Maraahel a length and a half further back in third.

Following his victory in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup last April, Vengeance Of Rain's owner Raymond Gianco Chow Hon-man collected the trophy for the World Racing Championship to join a list of illustrious champions.

The win also cemented David Ferraris' reputation as one of the very best big race trainers in the business. Last year he also landed the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby and the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup and would have been Hong Kong's Horse of the Year were it not for the dizzying feats of Silent Witness.

"He is the best horse I've ever ridden and I don't think I'll ever ride one like him again. Horses like him come round just once in a blue moon," jockey Anthony Delpech gushed post race.

"We found a nice position one off the fence and he was cantering at the final turn and he really fought hard. He has it all: class and courage."

Ferraris said Vengeance Of Rain was likely to stay in Hong Kong for the remainder of the season and cherry-pick the best races at 2000m and above.

"The owners have asked me not to race him in Dubai so we will target the Hong Kong Gold Cup, the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and the Champions & Chater Cup. I think there is still more improvement in him, too. "

That spells bad news for his Hong Kong rivals.