Emotional Victory Farewell For Pride In Hong Kong Cup PRIDE, the superb French mare, rounded off a fantastic career with a highly emotional victory in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup taking her winnings to a massive HK$30 million. The Alain Royer-Dupre-trained six-year-old hung on by a short head in a thrilling climax from Admire Moon and will now be retired to stud. Her jockey, Christophe Lemaire, came wide into the straight travelling well and when he asked Pride to quicken, she swept into the lead to win by two lengths. It looked as if the chestnut mare had her rivals tamed but then Admire Moon uncorked a withering late burst and Lemaire had to summon every last effort from Pride to scrape home in front. In contrast to her unlucky-in-running second in the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe when Pride was giving five pounds to a northern hemisphere-bred three-year-old - Rail Link when beaten a neck - this time she was in receipt of one pound from the gallant Japanese sophomore. It made all the difference. Lemaire said: 'When it came to the last corner I was behind Alexander Goldrun. She helped me into the race but unfortunately we had to come a little bit early. She has a great turn of foot, but her run is quite short so she was stopping a bit for me at the end and I was frightened we might get caught. It was her special fighting spirit that got her home.'Royer-Dupre, whose Shamdala finish third in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase earlier in the day added: 'She has been a marvellous filly who has a brilliant turn of foot. Today is a special story in a long career. We have created a new system in keeping three great fillies going for so long. I will have to find another one.' Vengeance Of Rain, conqueror last year of Pride in this very race, was courageous in defeat, filling third place while last season´s Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby winner Viva Pataca ran a creditable fourth. Also making her final career start, Alexander Goldrun never threatened and finished ninth.
