Findon-born trainer David Oughton did Sussex proud with victory in the Hong Kong Cup.

He watched four-year-old grey gelding Precision, ridden by Mick Kinane, snatch a short-head victory at Sha Tin to claim the £1.3m prize.

Oughton said: "Michael has won the Hong Kong derby and a Gold Cup for me but this is my first international Group One success.

"Precision has beaten the world champion Grandera as well as Sarafan, who was second in the Japan Cup, and other world-class horses. This proves our horses are up there with the best."

David, 47, and wife Jane, daughter of a Billingshurst farmer, moved to the former colony in 1987.

He had been encouraged to go there by Gordon Smyth, already training successfully in Hong Kong but soon to retire.

Oughton said: "Gordon needed an assistant trainer and brought me out on a visit to see what it was all about.

"It was the first time I had been to Hong Kong but I made up my mind to accept on the spot and have never regretted the decision."

Oughton had been training in Findon since 1981 when his mother, Diana, sister of the Queen Mother's jockey Bill Rees, died prematurely.

His father, Alan, died ten years earlier, having been one of a group of top-class post-war jump jockeys, and the shock of losing both parents was a character-forming experience.

Oughton, a successful amateur rider in the Seventies, enjoyed periods working for the legendary Ryan Price and former French Derby-winning trainer Charles Millbank in Chantilly and Sweden.

His background was impeccable and 15 winners in his first season, having inherited the yard and owners after Smyth retired, proved he could compete.

Oughton said: "I was lucky because in those days the Jockey Club bought the horses and they were allocated by ballot to owners who were limited to two each.

"I still train now for some of those early supporters and now the owners are allowed to buy horses themselves and there is no limit on price. The quality has improved and the standard of racing accordingly."

All trainers and horses are based at Sha Tin, the magnificent course built on 250 acres of reclaimed land in 1978. Trainers and their families have apartments on the estate, while horses are housed in two-storey blocks, with a limit of 60 horses for each trainer.

With a superb turf course of just over one mile enclosing an American-style dirt track and training gallop, the facilities are the same for everyone.

Racing takes place twice a week, on the long-established Happy Valley track in midweek and at Sha Tin at weekends. Crowds of 50,000 are not unusual with 80,000 the norm for the Hong Kong Derby in February.

Each stable has private facilities of a half-acre sand yard (horses love to roll in sand), washing down boxes, tack room and feed house.

In contrast to Europe, staffing is not a problem. Chinese lads muck out, feed and groom and those who have been through the excellent apprentice school and are good enough, ride the horses at exercise.

In Precision's case his regular rider is the diminutive, smiling Win Cheung. Win speaks little English but the joy at seeing her horse win a world-class race said it all.

Oughton said: "I don't have much Chinese but as my assistant Joe Tai is bi-lingual, that is not a problem."

Joe is the perfect back-up to David and is in sole charge while the Oughtons are in the United Kingdom for their Christmas holiday.

There are many excellent Chinese riders, all of whom have been through the Beas River Apprentice School but they will have learned just as much from the top-class jockeys from around the world who are invited to ride in Hong Kong.

Oughton said: "Tony Murray was my first jockey here and he rode my first winner.

"After he died, Philip Robinson rode for me for six years and more recently Mick Kinane has ridden regularly for us.

"Mick won the Hong Kong Derby for me on Che Sera Sera in 1996, the horse is now in retirement on Mick's Irish farm, and the Hong Kong Gold Cup on Idol."

Oughton added: "Although we have a house in Sussex at Coolham, Hong Kong has been very good to us and the house is really for our retirement."

"I have trained around 400 winners here including all the top races. The Jockey Club is non-profit making and betting turnover has been responsible for building hospitals, schools, and culture centres. You name it, racing has provided it.

"And of course, it has given us trainers the best facilities in the world as well.

"I sometimes miss the early mornings on the Sussex Downs. But it's a small thing to give up for the security and quality of life in Hong Kong. I have a lot to be thankful for."