Exultant showed a hint of peculiar dash to win the G3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) and hand trainer Tony Cruz a 1200th Hong Kong win at Sha Tin this afternoon, Sunday, 27 January.

“He’s just a stayer,” jockey Zac Purton said of Exultant post-race, adding, “but he’s a stayer with class – and he’s continued to get better.”

The fact that Exultant could step back three furlongs from last month’s triumph in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), and win in a time of 1m 45.68s – only 0.27s off the track record – had Cruz brimming with enthusiasm about future pursuits, while victory fingers were raised at a landmark reached.

“It’s always good to get a big number like this,” he said. “Exultant will go for the Hong Kong Gold Cup next month. He’s entered for Dubai – whether or not he goes there is up to the owner but to win like that at a distance short of his best only gives me more confidence in the horse.

“Through the mid-section they rolled along and the pace stayed on,” Purton said. “From where I was, that bump at the start didn’t become too much of a negative and I kept him rolling and he kept coming into it. He’s a stayer but he’s got quality.”

Exultant followed recent past winners Akeed Mofeed and Designs On Rome in rolling into a Centenary Vase victory off successes at Hong Kong’s December showcase fixture. Both of their G1 scores came in the Hong Kong Cup, though, and the past two winners of that 2000m feature were unable to match Exultant’s drive – Glorious Forever finished eighth and Time Warp last of nine.

“It was pretty soft the last furlong. It was a nice effort,” Purton said.

It was anything but soft at the start.

“They smashed him coming out of the gates, they really jammed him and put him out the back so I wasn’t too impressed with that,” the champion jockey said.

Exultant’s bruising initial squeeze between Glorious Forever and Horse Of Fortune left the five-year-old racing at the back. Up front, the Benno Yung-trained Pingwu Spark was set a stern task, out-racing an old Purton ally, Time Warp, to take the lead.

Purton shifted Exultant wide off the home turn and got to work with 400m to go. The Teofilo gelding wound up into a relentless drive and secured the lead with 200m to race, his momentum carrying him clear of last year’s winner Dinozzo (113lb). The Cruz-trained Romantic Touch (114lb) kept on for third.

“Through the mid-section they rolled along and the pace stayed on,” Purton said. “From where I was, that bump at the start didn’t become too much of a negative and I kept him rolling and he kept him coming into it. He’s a stayer but he’s got quality.”

Trainer Frankie Lor was not too downhearted about Glorious Forever’s failure to follow-up his Hong Kong Cup success.

“The pace was too fast,” he said. “We’ll go on to the Hong Kong Gold Cup now.”

Lor gained rich compensation one race later when Furore took the day’s lead feature, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, under Hugh Bowman.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 30 January.