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

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.

Thirteen major international races around the world are linked in a series designed to encourage intercontinental racing and find a world champion racehorse. Each race in the series is a Group/Grade 1 weight for age race over 2000 metres or 2400 metres. There are seven races at 2000 metres and six races at 2400 metres.

Points are allocated by placings in each race with 12, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 points being earned respectively by the first six horses to finish in each event.