Top rated Beauty Flash defeated his opponents easily in the first leg of the four-year-old series, the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile, and his trainer Tony Cruz immediately declared he would also tackle the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby Trial on 16th February before the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby on 14th March.

"With a horse like this, you have to go all the way, he's a real beauty and he's lived up to his name," Cruz said after winning the domestic Group One event for the third time in four years after Floral Pegasus in 2007 and Helene Mascot in 2008.

Cruz also praised the rider, Belgian ace Christophe Soumillon, for taking the initiative and going straight to the front from the widest draw in the 14-runner field when no other horse appeared willing to lead.

Beauty Flash set good sections throughout the 1600m journey at Sha Tin and never looked in danger of being caught, coasting to the line with nearly three lengths to spare from Chater Way, ridden by champion jockey Douglas Whyte, with Tuscan Spirit (Craig Williams) a battling third, a half length further back. Beauty Flash's stablemate Super Pistachio was fourth and John Moore-trained Able Speed fifth.

"The plan was to have him close to the pace but when nobody wanted to lead I took him to the front," Soumillon said. "He was relaxed throughout and gave me a good feel. I have no doubt he will run out at the Derby distance the way he travelled today."

Cruz, who is looking for his record seventh Derby success having won the event four times as a jockey and twice as a trainer, said no one gets tired of winning derbies.

"For a horse, a Derby is a once in a lifetime experience, but for me the more the merrier," he said.

Cruz said he was also pleased with the run of Super Pistachio who was ridden by his former stable rider Felix Coetzee.

"He is a 2,000m horse and he will get better as the races get longer. I expect him to go closer in the Derby Trial," he said. Cruz also warned against ruling out the chances of his third runner in the Classic Mile, Straight Forward who finished seventh after travelling in fourth place for most of the mile trip.

"I am happy with the way my three horses ran today and I will be looking forward to the next two four-year-old races," Cruz said.

Beauty Flash is owned by Sa Sa cosmetic chain owner Mr Kwok Siu-ming who specially invited Soumillon for the ride becAUS

"I was a little nervous as to whether Beauty Flash would get the trip but once I saw him travelling so easily in front, I was sure he would be hard to run down," he said.

Whyte said Chater Way, who travelled in midfield until the turn, ran as well as expected and would come on for the run.

"Obviously, the winner was too good today but this was only Chater Way's fourth start here and he can improve from this," Whyte said.

Trainer John Moore, who said he was happy with the run of Able Speed who finished fifth, though he was more pleased with the run of his other Derby prospect, Irian, who finished fifth in an earlier race over the distance of 1400m.

"I am looking forward to when he meets Beauty Flash, which should be very interesting indeed," he said.