Trainer John Moore leads Dan Excel and jockey Tommy Berry to the winner's enclosure after defending their Singapore Airlines International Cup crown at Kranji in Singapore. Photos Kenneth Chan

Aerovelocity set himself up for a shot at massive payday in December with a win in the KrisFlyer Sprint and Dan Excel went back-to-back in the Singapore Airlines International Cup on a night when Hong Kong swept both Group One features in the Lion City for the third consecutive year.

A race after Paul O'Sullivan's Aerovelocity led all the way in the S$1 million KrisFlyer and moved one race away from collecting the Global Sprint Challenge bonus of US$1 million, John Moore pulled off a tremendous training effort when Dan Excel came back from throat surgery earlier this season to collect the S$3 million Cup.

We've been through a lot with this horse ... and to bring him back from throat surgery, to go through the rehab and then to build into this, it's a great feeling

John Moore

O'Sullivan described winning the KrisFlyer with the odds-on favourite as "more of a relief than a thrill", while the emotion also showed on Moore's face after delivering owner David Boehm a second straight win in his former home city.

"We've been through a lot with this horse," Moore said. "We went to Australia and everything went wrong, and to bring him back from throat surgery, to go through the rehab and then to build into this, it's a great feeling."

Dan Excel was able to lead all the way from gate 10 under an assured ride from Australian jockey Tommy Berry, holding off former stablemate Military Attack and rider Zac Purton in second, a race after Purton scored on Aerovelocity - although there were a trail of hard luck stories behind him.

O'Sullivan's once-unheralded sprinter followed his success in the Takamatsonomiya Kinen in Japan with a one-and-a-half length win to be eligible for the Global Sprint Challenge bonus, which requires a horse to win an eligible Group One sprint in three different countries in a calendar year.

A win in December's Longines Hong Kong Sprint would not only give Aerovelocity back-to-back wins in the race, but would deliver connections an extra US$1 million bonus on top of the HK$10 million first prize.

The New Zealand trainer ruled out heading to Royal Ascot next month or to Australia, where a win could also secure the bonus.

"We will be focusing on the Hong Kong Sprint," said O'Sullivan, who will receive a US$250,000 share of the bonus if Aerovelocity is successful. "Any horse that can win three international Group Ones in three different countries must rate very highly."

In fact, Aerovelocity became the first ever Hong Kong-trained horse to win three international Group One races in three different countries with his KrisFlyer success.

Purton described Aerovelocity as "the most courageous horse I have ever ridden" after the tenacious competitor made all of the running, withstood pressure upon turning and pulled away for a defiant win.

Behind the winner were some hard luck stories in a messy race, not least of all third-placed Lucky Nine - denied three successive wins in the race - and fifth Rich Tapestry.

Any horse that can win three international Group Ones in three different countries must rate very highly

Paul O'Sullivan

Lucky Nine's jockey Brett Prebble was fuming after his mount struck severe interference during the run and ended up near last after securing an advantageous position early.

Lucky Nine's trainer Caspar Fownes' disappointment was tempered by the fact his eight-year-old had made a return to form after a couple of unplaced efforts.

"I just wish we had clear running, it would have been very interesting," he said after his horse stormed home to finish third, less than three lengths behind the winner, and three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Emperor Max.

Rich Tapestry's trainer Michael Chang Chun-wai said his horse had also copped the backwash from the interference in the middle stages.

"It was hard luck, he has a nick on his hind leg but he has pulled up fine," he said.