Japan’s Satono Crown powered late and hard under local hero Joao Moreira to overhaul hot favourite Highland Reel in a pulsating edition of the HK$16.5 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin this afternoon, Sunday, 11 December.

The packed crowd roared the two lead protagonists to the wire and when Moreira’s mount edged his tiring rival with mere strides remaining, the travelling Japanese fan club joined with Moreira’s dedicated Sha Tin faithful in lauding the gutsy victor.

For Hong Kong’s record-breaking champion jockey, Satono Crown’s win ensured he joined Gerald Mosse as the only rider to complete a full-house of LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, following last year’s Sprint success and a 2014 double in the Mile and Cup.

“It’s a dream come true to achieve the full house,” he said. “I thought this horse was a very good chance before the race and the feeling that he gave me on the track the other day was great, so I knew I had a lot of horse underneath.”

Moreira needed a lot of horse. Highland Reel lined up for the 14-runner contest as the 1.5 favourite off an all-the-way win in last month’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf – one of four career G1s to the globetrotter’s name, including this race last year. And when Ryan Moore, newly-crowned 2016’s LONGINES World’s Best Jockey, kicked hard into the stretch, opening up a wide margin on the field, Aidan O’Brien’s charge appeared set for an imperious repeat win.

Moreira, though, had other ideas. “I was always confident I would get there,” he said.

Satono Crown – a 19/1 shot – found clear running with 300m to race but was fully three lengths adrift of the defending champ, who had put most of his opponents to the sword with a leg-sapping race-fastest sectional from 800m to 400m (23.42s). But as Satono Crown closed, Highland Reel’s own limbs began to wilt. Moreira drove his mount past Ireland’s flagging hero for a half-length win in the fastest Vase renewal in its 16 years as a G1 contest (2m 26.22s).

“I got behind a horse that was dragging me back instead of taking me forward, so I had to wait a little bit, get on the fence and track the French horse ridden by Maxime Guyon (Silverwave),” Moreira explained. “Once I was able to get him on the outside and get a clear run, I could feel that he was full of himself and was going to dash home.

“The way he won today, he’s shown that he’s got a lot of talent. He beat a world class horse in Highland Reel and being his rider today is a blessing.”

The victory was a second for Japan in the Vase, 15 years after Stay Gold triumphed for Yasuo Ikee and Yutaka Take. It also provided Japan’s champion trainer Noriyuki Hori with a second LONGINES HKIR win after Maurice’s Mile title 12 months ago.

 “We had been considering this race and after his performance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) we decided to make this a priority,” Hori said, “We’re happy that the horse has been able to come through and perform at his best.

“This horse was at a very high level even as a two-year-old, winning a Group race. We’ll now take time to look at the horse and take time to talk to connections and discuss what this horse’s next race will be.”

Aidan O’Brien was satisfied with Highland Reel’s effort, coming at the end of a 12-month span that has seen the horse race 10 times in six countries.

“He ran very well, he’s had a long season but he ran a great race – he ran his heart out. He’s had a phenomenal season,” the Ballydoyle handler said.

Moore added: “He’s run very well, a cracking race given the pressure. But it’s disappointing to get beaten. We pulled a long way clear – the winner is a good horse.”

The front two drew six and three quarter lengths clear of the field. The Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe sixth One Foot In Heaven was best of the rest in third.

“Leaving the stalls it was quite a rough race early on and there was a lot of movement all through the race,” said jockey Christophe Soumillon. “I got out OK but all through the race there were jockeys fighting for the same spot. It was a fine effort but the first two were a class above.”

Japan’s Nuovo Record, second in last year’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), was a further three quarters of a length back in fourth.