Group 1 sweep for trainer, rider

Jockey Michael Kinane and trainer John Moore combined forces for a Group 1 double at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday as Viva Pataca upset Vengeance of Rain and Admire Moon in the $1.79 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup, while Able One led throughout in taking the $1 million Champions Mile.

Viva Pataca sprinted to a three-length lead at the eighth pole under Kinane and had enough left to hold off Dubai Sheema Classic winner Vengeance of Rain by 1 3/4 lengths in the QE II Cup. Dubai Duty Free winner Admire Moon, racing wide throughout as a result of his number 10 draw in the 10-runner field, missed getting up for second by a neck. Sent off at odds of 6-1, Viva Pataca covered the 1 1/4 miles on good to firm turf in 2:01.90.

Vengeance of Rain is expected to challenge Viva Pataca again in the Champion and Chaters Cup on June 3.

Earlier, Able One took the Champions Mile by 1 1/4 lengths from his Moore-trained stablemate Joyful Winner. The Duke, last December's Hong Kong Mile winner, was a short head farther back in third. Linngari, a fast-closing second last time to Admire Moon in the Dubai Duty Free, had a rare off day in finishing sixth, 2 3/4 lengths behind Able One, who covered the mile in 1:34.50 at 32-1.

Japan: Meisho Samson by a nose

Meisho Samson outdueled Erimo Expire and Tokai Trick to win the Grade 1, $2.1 million Spring Tenno Sho at Kyoto in Japan. The winner of last year's Japanese Derby, Meisho Samson had returned from a three-month absence to win the Grade 2 Sankei Osaka Hai on April 1. Only fourth when going for the Triple Crown in the two-mile Japanese St. Leger, he found the two miles of the Tenno Sho, or Emperor's Cup, to be within his range this time as he outgamed longshot Erimo Expire by a nose with Toaki Trick a neck back in third.

Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues finished seven lengths behind in 12th, while Eye Popper was fourth, beaten just three-quarters of a length as the 5-2 favorite.

Sent off as the 7-2 second choice, the Shigetada Takahashi-trained Meisho Samson covered the distance under Mamoru Ishibashi in 3:14.10, just .70 of a second off the track mark set in last year's Tenno Sho by Deep Impact.