Michael Kinane's penchant for winning the big overseas races was again in evidence in Hong Kong yesterday where he won the £289,332 Group Two International Vase (12f) on Luso.

Clive Brittain's charge emulated his 1996 success by beating his compatriot, Posidonas, by a head in front of a 54,000 Sha Tin crowd.

Kinane, successful in the Japan Cup on Pilsudski three weeks earlier, was also placed in the two other big international races on British runners.

He partnered Russian Revival, one of two John Gosden runners, to finish a a length and a quarter second to Australia's Catalan Opening in the £289,332 Group Two Hong Kong International Bowl (7f).

Incidentally, the rider of the Bart Cummings-trained Catalan Opening, Darren Beadman, retires from the saddle to become a minister of religion on St Stephen's Day.

Mark Prescott's Wizard King was a respectable fourth under Wendyll Woods, with Gosden's big white hope, Decorated Hero, a below par sixth under Frankie Dettori.

Kinane also partnered Roger Charlton's Wixim to finished a creditable third - beaten a short head and half a length by America's Val Prince and the hometrained Oriental Express in the £311,589 Group Two Hong Kong International Cup (9f).

Johnny Murtagh also got on the scoresheet after winning a class one race, the Berlin Handicap (7f), by half a length on Magic Joy.

Stable staff will receive a four per cent pay rise next year under an agreement between the National Trainers Federation and the Stable Lads Association announced on Saturday. The deal, reached in the National Joint Council for Stable Staff for wages and working conditions held last Tuesday, will take effect from February 1st, 1998, and means that Grade A stable staff working a 40-hour week between Monday morning and Saturday lunchtime will earn a minimum of £176.56 per week.For the same period Grade B staff will receive £155.23.