Champion stayer Highland Reel brought down the curtain on his wonderful career with a typically brave but dominant win in the Hong Kong International Vase at Sha Tin.
The son of Galileo has travelled the world winning seven group 1s, from the United States to Royal Ascot, and became a two-time Vase winner on Sunday.
Highland Reel won the Vase two years ago after running third to Winx in the first of her three Cox Plate wins but has since become a star of world racing.
His style of basically keeping his rivals honest with relentless speed was again on show at Sha Tin as he hit the front at the top of the straight.
He was there to be beaten but simply nothing could challenge Highland Reel in the final stages as he raced to a1-3/4 length win from Breeders Cup Turf winner Talismanic and Japan's Tosen Basil.
The win took Aidan O'Brien's group 1 tally to 28 for 2017 and the Irish training genius was on hand to watch the final act of Highland Reel's career.
"He's incredible," O'Brien said. "He's tactically very good, fast early and then quickens. What's unbelievable is that he is very brave.
"When you want everything, he gives you everything. Ryan [Moore] gave him a brilliant ride. He wasn't going to give up."
Moore praised the stayer's tenacity and said he was comfortable and confident a long way from home.
"He's always been a very straightforward horse and gets the trip well. He's got a lot of tactical speed and I was always happy and confident," Moore said.
"He's a horse who once he gets into a fight he's probably going to prevail. He dug in during the last furlong and was going away again at the finish.
"He's high class with a great attitude and very durable. He's raced all around the world, his consistency marks him out - he always runs his race and is a pleasure to ride."
Although there were no Australian horses at meeting, Nash Rawiller gave the meeting an Aussie favour when he won the Hong Kong International Sprint on favourite Mr Stunning.
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