Blazing Speed won the 2015 Group 1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000 metres at Sha Tin for trainer Tony Cruz and jockey Neil Callan.

Blazing Speed, a son of Dylan Thomas and winner of the G2 Jockey Club Cup at the course and distance in November 2014, won by two lengths from a blanket finish by the other runners.

Staphanos, from Japan and ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, was second by a short-head from Australian runner Criterion. It was a nose back to 2014 winner Designs On Rome and the same again to fifth-placed Packing Llaregyb.

The 2013 winner, Military Attack, vied for the lead at the top of the stretch but faded to finish seventh. wonderful international traveller Red Cadeaux was 11th.

A delighted Callan demonstrated his trademark victory salute to the crowd standing high in the stirrups, the rider roared with delight and pumped his fist as he swept past the post.

The six-year-old clocked 2m 02.89s.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “This afternoon’s APQEII Cup was a very exciting race featuring top-class international contenders and the result speaks for itself with Blazing Speed an impressive winner, the Japanese horse finishing second, the Australian horse third and Designs On Rome fourth. Looking at the ratings it is a satisfactory result for a race that is one of the top 20 Group 1 races in the world.”

Day’s attendance was 31,943, an increase of 5 per cent on 2014.