Mike de Kock, South Africa's most internationally renowned trainer, gained sweet revenge for the second-placed finish by Grey's Inn in last year's Audemars Piguet QEII Cup when Irridescence and jockey Weichong Marwing held off local hope Best Gift and British mare Ouija Board by two heads to land the HK$14 million showpiece Sha Tin on Sunday.
Immediately sent to the lead by Marwing, Irridescence dictated the steady early speed, cutting out the first 800m in splits 26.4 and 24.8 seconds. Jockey Weichong Marwing then wound up the pace with half a mile to race, skipping two lengths clear of the field and setting sail for home, while keeping enough in reserve to hold off the sustained challenge of Best Gift and the late charging Ouija Board, who made up plenty of ground in the straight for Frankie Dettori - but could not quite get to the long time leader.
Coming from off the pace, Ouija Board clocked the final 400m in 21.8 seconds compared to the 22.4 for Irridescence and 22.2 for Best Gift.
The winner paid nearly 5/1 third favourite, backed in from almost 15/2, as was Ouija Board who started the favourite at 6/4.
Afterwards a relieved Marwing said: "That wasn't exactly the plan! I think that she is a better filly when she is held up, but when there was no pace and she broke well I felt that I had to go on. It all worked out OK in the end, and she held on well to the line."
"What a ride from Marwing!" ecstatic owner Steve Karlin gushed. "I have just spoken to Barry Irwin [manager of owners Team Valor] and he said to me: 'He's the best jockey I've seen since Willie Shoemaker."
Whether Irridescence will further her international travels remains a conundrum with Karlin, suggesting that Europe could be on the cards, though De Kock said her brilliance is compromised by her temperament and that might limit her world aspirations.
Irridescence is the second South African winner of this race after the triumph of London News in 1997.
Eric Saint-Martin on second placed Best Gift had no excuses to offer, while a disappointed Frankie Dettori said of Ouija Board: "She broke slowly and didn't have the pace to go with them early. I was four lengths behind the winner coming to the straight and we've made up three-and-three-quarters. At a mile and a half she's the winner, no doubt about it. She just ran out of track. I think she's as good as ever, and there's no reason why she shouldn't have another great year."
If there was a disappointment in the race it was the sixth-placed finish of the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby winner, Viva Pataca, sent off the second favourite. He was always caught deep on the track from a wide barrier and was never seen with a major chance. His trainer John Moore was philosophical about the outcome, saying: "I'm not put off at all by the result, he's still a Gr.1 horse. He had a bad draw, couldn't get in, caught 3-wide no cover and that was his chance gone."
