Hong Kong hero Viva Pataca was farewelled in front of a huge crowd at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Viva Pataca (9g Marju – Comic by Be My Chief) paraded for the last time before heading to Australia for a well-earned retirement.

The 2009 Horse Of The Year was raced by Dr Stanley Ho and he bows out as the highest stakes winner in Hong Kong history with HK$83.19 million in earnings.

“He did the stable proud in every way,” trainer John Moore said.  “He wasn’t an easy horse to train.  In fact, he has a volatile temperament but I’ve always found that every real champion has a bit of aggression about him.

“He’s been the greatest I’ve trained without any doubt at all.”

Viva Pataca was a G1 winner of the 2006 Hong Kong Derby and he was a two-time winner of the Hong Kong Gold Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Cup .

But the race which perhaps best exemplified his astonishing durability and consistency was the G1 Champions & Chater Cup.  He contested Hong Kong’s major stamina test six years in a row and came away with three wins and three placings.

Darren Beadman said Viva Pataca helped him climb the ladder in Hong Kong.  “He never once let me down and would be right up there with the likes of Lonhro and Super Impose for sure.

“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Viva Pataca had been based in Australia, he would have been a weight-for-age champion.”

Viva Pataca was a 26,000 gns buy for Sir Mark Prescott at the 2003 Tattersalls October yearling sale.  He won five times as a two year-old in England before his owners received an offer they couldn’t refuse from Stanley Ho.