Highland Reel has bowed out of racing in the best way possible with victory in the Group One Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin.

It was the second win in the 2400m-race for the Aidan O'Brien-trained Highland Reel who was successful in 2015 after running third to Winx in the Cox Plate.

After being joined by Talismanic in the straight on Sunday, Highland Reel found another gear for Ryan Moore to kick to victory.

"I was always happy and always confident," Moore said.

"He's the sort of horse once he gets into a fight, he's almost always going to prevail.

"He dug in over the last furlong and I thought he was comfortable and going away at the finish."

Highland Reel beat Talismanic by 1-3/4 lengths with Japanese horse Tosen Basil another three-quarters of a length third.

Max Dynamite, runner-up in the 2015 Melbourne Cup and third this year, finished sixth for Sydney Jockey Glyn Schofield.

"He ran really well," Schofield said.

"I was in a lovely spot but the pace was probably a bit sedate for him."

Eagle Way, winner of the 2016 Queensland Derby, was eighth while Tiberian, seventh in the Melbourne Cup, was 11th of the 12 runners.

Highland Reel will join the stallion roster at Coolmore Stud in the upcoming northern hemisphere breeding season.