Given the racing pattern of the day – this race was as straight forward as they come. On a track playing to those on speed, Beauty Generation was a market shortener, while Seasons Bloom was a drifter. The money was right as Seasons Bloom disappointed and Beauty Generation and Zac Purton took full advantage of the way the track was playing.

He dwelt slightly from the gate, but was driven to lead from by Purton, it was a cakewalk from that point onwards. The result never looked in doubt at any stage, even as Beauty Generation drifted out in the straight.

“It wasn’t ideal that he didn’t really muster out of the gates like he normally does,” Purton said. “He didn’t really dwell, he just wasn’t that quick. I actually thought Pingwu Spark had the speed to cross me early and he was going to cross, but as he was coming, he seemed to spot something and shy and he lost his momentum. That allowed me to roll back underneath him and take control.

“That was a crucial part of the race and I feel that is where we won it. It meant that I could dictate from there, and I was always going to be hard to run down when I got out on the speed. He doesn’t really quicken but he lengthens and that’s when he’s hard to run down.”

Afterwards trainer John Moore laid out the case for Beauty Generation to be horse of the year “Coming into today, you’d have thought it was a close call between Time Warp and Beauty Generation for Horse of the Year,” Moore said. “Pakistan Star might have entered the conversation today, too, but Beauty Generation has won three Group 1 races and done it against international company so he might just be the best horse in town.

“If we need a few more points on the board, then the Singapore race might be on the cards. I’d consider the Champions & Chater, too, but if I made a mistake and he ran down the field, it could hurt his case. He’s the iron horse of Hong Kong though, to be up so long and to go out and win that sort of race like he did, he’s something.”

 Second in the race was Western Express and jockey sam Clipperton said of his effort “Western Express ran his usual honest race, he just needs everything to go right and he will get one,”. Trainer John Size said of plans for the Yasuda Kinen: “I never make a decision on raceday about what will happen next, but he does hold an entry so it is something to think about.”

Third placed Southern Legend may also travel. Trainer casper Fownes said “I’ll have to speak to the owner but Japan is a consideration. He’s shown a lot of heart there again. It’s a run with a lot of merit and bodes well for December because that’s where he’s going; he’s just starting to get there now, he’s showing us that he’s a proper Group 1 horse and that’s exciting.”

Joao Moreira said of the disappointing Seasons Bloom “He was a little bit unlucky at the start, he jumped okay but the horses around him had him tight and took his runs, so he got a little too far back and it was just too hard to make up ground.”

Thanks to the HKJC team for the quotes from trainers and jockeys.