Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden confirmed his status as one of the best stayers in the world with his stirring win in the Group One ($HK14 million) Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin today.

It was also fitting that Dunaden should complete the best year so far in the riding career of Craig Williams despite him having to forfeit the mount in the Melbourne Cup because of suspension.

Williams, 37, won the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Geelong Cup during the spring and then almost stole the Japan Cup in Tokyo a fortnight ago where he has a six-week contract before detouring to Hong Kong last week to ride Dunaden.

He thanked the connections of Dunaden for giving him another chance to ride the five-year-old after French jockey Christophe Lemaire was his last-minute replacement in the Melbourne Cup.

‘'Christophe gave him a 11 out of 10 ride in the Melbourne Cup and I am grateful (trainer) Mikhel Delzangles and his Excellency (Sheik Fahad Al Tarni of Qatar) offered me the ride in Hong Kong,'' Williams said.

Williams' father, Cranbourne-based trainer Allan, and his uncle Jim Biggins were on hand to see today's win while his wife Laysa, expecting their third child, and children remained in Melbourne.

‘'I hope they were watching on TV, this is a great thrill for me,'' Williams said.

The Hong Kong Vase also validates the Melbourne Cup form with English stayer Red Cadeaux, who was a beaten a nose by Dunaden at Flemington, yesterday dead-heating for third with Silver Ponds.

Dunaden won by three quarters of a length from local hope Thumbs Up, ridden by Brett Prebble, with the dead heaters another three quarters of a length away.

Williams said when he rode Dunaden in a gallop last Tuesday he felt the horse had improved since his career highlight in Melbourne.

‘'Coming back from the 3200 metres to the 2400 metres, we decided to try and have him as close as possible and I had a few concerns when horses started to go around me turning for home, but he produced so much when I pulled him out , the hairs were standing up on the back of my head,'' Williams said.

As he did in the Melbourne Cup, Dunaden got his head down and stretched his neck to the limit as he drove to the line and became the first horse to complete the Melbourne Cup-Hong Kong Vase double.

Americain attempted the double last year and had to settle for fourth in the Vase.

After his second on Thumbs Up, Brett Prebble went one better in the next race, wining the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) on Lucky Nine. It was Prebble's third win in the race after his successes on Absolute Champion in 2006 and Sacred Kingdom in 2009.

Former Sydney-based South African jockey Jeff Lloyd caused the upset of the international meeting with his win on 100/1 chance Able One in the $HK20 million Hong Kong Mile.

The nine-year-old was one of trainer John Moore's three runners in the race which also included the favourite Xtension who had to settle for third.

Our 'honorary Australian', the New Zealand four-year-old Jimmy Choux, was a major disappointiment, finishing ninth after looking a winning chance at the top of the straight.

The $HK20 million Hong Cup (2000m) also stayed at home with the Caspar Fownes-trained Californian Melody holding off another John Moore-trained horse, Irian, to win by a length.

Ambitious Dragon and Cirrus Des Angles were the two clear top picks but had to settle for fourth and fifth respectively.

Other than Dunaden, the day was a clear winner for the locals with three winners in the four international races.