KEY POINTS:
New Zealand-bred Vengeance Of Rain has been crowned Horse of the Year in Hong Kong.
Vengeance Of Rain is by Zabeel, the outstanding sire from Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud in Waikato.
Among the horse's group one wins for the season just completed in Hong Kong was the Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).
But his greatest achievement came in the Dubai Sheema Classic (2400m) in Dubai on March 31.
The event carried a stake of US$5 million ($6.4 million), making it the world's equal-richest race run on turf.
At the time, Sir Patrick described the Dubai win as "the biggest result for Zabeel and one of the greatest-ever triumphs for the New Zealand breeding industry".
Vengeance Of Rain was initially sold for $300,000 at the 2002 National Yearling Sales in New Zealand and joined the transtasman stable of Graeme Rogerson.
After initially racing in Australia under the name of Subscribe, Vengeance Of Rain was subsequently sold to Hong Kong.
The Horse of the Year title, announced on Monday night, was one of three awards for Vengeance Of Rain.
He was also named Hong Kong's top stayer for the season and Hong Kong's most popular horse, with votes from the public totalling nearly 53,000.
Another New Zealand-bred horse on the winners' list of the season's awards was Armada. The Towkay 5-year-old gelding was voted top miler (1400-1800m).
New Zealand trainer Paul O'Sullivan finished second on the trainers' premiership with 52 wins and his horses earned stakes of HK$41.8 million ($6.9 million).
O'Sullivan's best winner was Medic Power, who was named the season's most improved horse.
Medic Power, a New Zealand-bred gelding by Bertolini, won six of seven races in the season.
- NZPA
