Intro:

Rulership, riden by 23 year old Italian Umberto Rispoli won the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Script:

Japanese five year old Rulership, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, won the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday.

23 year old Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli, riding on the final day of his Hong Kong contract before a move to France, steered the horse home with three and three-quarter lengths to spare.

Thumbs Up finished second and local four year old Sweet Orange, the 7/4 favourite, was third.

Aidan O'Brien's Treasure Beach, the 2011 Irish Derby winner, with Jamie Spencer on board, could only finish ninth.

Rispoli, a champion jockey in Italy in 2009 and 2010, was never challenged on the finishing straight and comfortably won the 10-furlong contest on Rulership.

The Sunday Racing-owned Rulership has seven wins in 14 starts in Japan.