Things are only going to get tighter in the jockeys' room with the arrivals of North American Aaron Gryder and Frenchman Johan Victoire this week, and Christophe Soumillon and Andreas Suborics in the not too distant future, and we aren't just talking about where they sit. Everyone across the board - well, the top of the board especially - might have to be happy with a lower win tally this season.

As noted a week ago in a story on Douglas Whyte's unusually slow start to the term, the leader on the championship table at that stage has generally had 20 or more winners on the board already by meeting 16. Brett Prebble hit 20 wins with Sunday's treble at meeting number 18, and it may be that the century - which has become the accepted benchmark for the championship winner during Whyte's long succession of titles - might only be achieved this season due to the extra five meetings, if at all.

Dubai World Cup winner Gryder told the Daily Racing Form he was hopeful of extending his four-month licence until the end of the season, and whether Sean Woods and Victoire look to extend their partnership longer than the three-month retainer will doubtless depend on results.

But with an extra four senior jockeys here at the start of the new year and the claiming apprentices getting so much air time, it is going to be an even tougher fight for the better rides.

Gryder's invitation is another indication the Jockey Club is attempting to reopen communications with North America. Jockeys from the US have been virtually non-existent for well over a decade. The club will be hoping Gryder has some luck to help build a bridge to others, but it seems an impossible task with riders there earning much more than they could ever hope to get out of Hong Kong.

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From Racing Post HK

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A photo-finish in the final race was the difference that saw Brett Prebble hold sway in the Jockey Challenge at Happy Valley last night but the story of the night was the return to form of star apprentice Matthew Chadwick. Chadwick had notched up 47 straight losing rides going into last night's fixture but bounced back with a treble as he and Prebble sliced the programme up between them and left little for anyone else.

"Matthew's got his head screwed on properly again and I'm sure he'll get the ball rolling now," said Tony Cruz, to whom Chadwick is apprenticed. "He just needed to get his confidence back and this night will do him the world of good."

Chadwick drew first blood with Topping Light for Caspar Fownes in the second before adding Cruz's Bullish Win in the sixth and Supernova for David Ferraris in the night's featured Wayfoong Centenary Bowl, 1,650m.

"It changes so quickly. One minute he had no confidence, the next he's full of confidence again and it makes such a huge difference," said Ferraris, who had been a little surprised to see Supernova somewhat closer in the run last night. "I said to Matthew to take the horse back as usual, let him find a spot where he's comfortable, but after the race he told me the horse began well enough to be where he was so he left him there and got cover and it worked. Supernova had been promoted out of Class Four without winning but I just looked at this race tonight and thought with five pounds off he had to be a great chance."

Prebble also landed a three-timer aboard Victory Mascot and Nugget Warrior for Fownes, sandwiching Electronic Master for Manfred Man Ka-leung in between them, but the night soured when he copped a 2-day careless riding ban for his effort in the sixth on Happy Ambassador. The Australian went into the final event just trailing Chadwick in the Jockey Challenge, but fortunes swung on the narrow margin between Nugget Warrior and True Intelligence and the camera came down Prebble's way to give trainer Fownes a three-timer as well. "I can't tell you how happy I am to win with this horse," Fownes said of Nugget warrior.

"When he first got here last year, he was all ready to go to the races and he tore a muscle just above his hock. A really unusual injury but it really set him back. It has been a long road but he's been getting better each run and I'm rapt to win with him."

Weather fine, track Prebble - they've been the conditions for racing at the past two meetings, but top apprentice Matthew Chadwick gets a chance to strike at Happy Valley tonight at better odds. Prebble has had seven wins in the past week and was posted favourite with his terrific book again but, as those who chewed their fingernails through his unbeatable set of rides on Sunday to finally collect will know, short odds in the Jockey Challenge doesn't guarantee an easy path.

Prebble was 2.15 before getting out to 2.25 in early moves last night on the Challenge, while Olivier Doleuze, Douglas Whyte and Chadwick went up at 7.0 before early shoppers snipped the star apprentice back to 6.0.

And he still looks a good value proposition, despite having only six mounts.

Chadwick is enduring by far his longest run of outs, with 47 rides since his last win on Hannah King Prawn just prior to that fall from Gallant Champion.

But he has been in the minor placings eight times in those 47 runners, and it is fair to say that the quality of his mounts has often recently been below the standard he had been getting.

He opens with the Caspar Fownes-trained Topping Light (race two), a smart winner on debut, before jumping on Perfect Fit (race three), who was well beaten by Fownes' horse at Sha Tin last start, but had an excuse after being checked out of the race at the start.

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From Racing Post HK

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It might not have been the all-conquering afternoon that Brett Prebble had in mind yesterday, but the Australian carried on his winning streak from midweek to bag a treble at Sha Tin.
Prebble looked capable of winning five or six on paper after snaring four at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, but has managed to open a small gap at the head of the jockeys' table after having to make do with three.

"I'm happy - I've gone to the races plenty of times with even better books than that and come away without a winner, so there's no way I'm not happy with three," said Prebble after landing promising Morning Green and Algarve for David Hall and Fat Choy Ichiban for Dennis Yip Chor-hong to go to 20 wins and a break of five over suspended seven-pound claimer Keith Yeung Ming-lun.

Hall has also been in sparkling form and moved into second place behind John Moore in the trainers' race after two impressive, but nevertheless different efforts from his pair of Encosta De Lago youngsters.

"Algarve is just a beautiful racehorse. I know he gives Brett a great feeling riding him, but as a trainer watching from the stand you get a great feeling with this horse, too," he said after the four-year-old had come from last to justify his short odds in the final event.

"He's so relaxed and has a great turn of foot. Sure, it isn't the greatest attribute getting out of his ground the way he has been, he can't make his own luck like a front runner, but he is so push button.

"As he goes further, I hope he can draw a better gate and be a bit closer, but I like him, he's a progressive horse."

From Racing Post Hk

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A rare full field for the Group Two Cathay Pacific International Cup Trial may be John Moore's ally as Viva Pataca chases his third successive victory in Sunday's feature event at Sha Tin.
The 2009 renewal of the HK$3 million international lead-up will be the first full field in the short history of a race, which Moore said yesterday "will all come down to tactics and how the race is run".

For the first time in Collection's local career, Darren Beadman will not be aboard, having switched to Horse Of the Year Viva Pataca after the pair worked on Tuesday.

"I don't think there's a lot between them, but Viva Pataca is the stable elect," Moore said yesterday. "Darren was very happy with his work this week, he did exactly what was wanted and is just about at his top - we've left just a little bit there for the internationals on December 13.

"On the other hand, Collection galloped quicker than I wanted on Tuesday and there was just a slight concern it might have taken the edge off him for Sunday. That's why we haven't worked him again since. He'll benefit from Sunday's run, but, having said that, I am sure he'll run well and I even thought my third runner, Eyshal, is a place chance. He's peaking now."

The Cup Trial has generally featured fields of seven or eight in recent years and a dawdling tempo as a result, which Viva Pataca was able to overcome in the past two seasons as an odds-on favourite, but the Cup Trial might see a more worthwhile tempo with a full field tomorrow.

"It will all come down to how the race is run and I would like to see a truly run contest - I wouldn't like to see Packing Winner amble in the lead as he did last time," Moore said. "Hopefully, with a horse like Iron Fist drawn wide, who does race forward, he will go and put some pressure on Packing Winner."

David Hall's hot streak continued at Sha Tin with the Australian ringing up a three-timer and taking his new acquisition Blaze King into uncharted waters in winning the Panasonic Joba Handicap (1,000m), reports the HK Racing Post.

It says: Ridden by Brett Prebble, the gelding was the middle pin of Hall's treble that started with My Goal (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) and wound up with progressive Legend (James Winks), and Hall has racked up seven wins from his 33 runners in recent weeks.

Hall took over Blaze King this season and had everyone's attention after the four-year-old spreadeagled a trial field up the straight last month, but the margin wasn't fancy yesterday as he made the grade to Class One. "I didn't really know what to expect. Yes, he had trialled very well, everyone saw that, but he was tried several times in Class Two last season and wasn't up to it," Hall said.

"So to go straight to Class One with him was a bit of a test today.

"With more maturity and a good preparation he was able to win - not by much but the most pleasing thing for me was the way he switched off, sat behind and finished his race. That makes you think that he might be more than just a 1,000m horse."

Hall said the race had been targeted because it was over the straight course, but Blaze King would soon run out of options if he couldn't do anything else.

"His three wins had all been this trip so we were patient and waited for this to start him off but you're talking about a horse rated nearly 100 after this - if we have to wait to run him only up the straight, then his options get very narrow," he said.

"But we've spent a lot of time getting him to relax and he was workmanlike today. If we can try him around a corner at 1,200m now."

Amityship has gone from strength to strength this season, scoring most impressively last time out over this course and distance and looks an outstanding banker in the middle leg of tomorrow's Triple Trio that is expected to reach HK$7 million.

The four-year-old tipped his hat when picking up a few minor placings late last season, and came out firing with an opening-day second behind Brave Spirit.

He then went to the Valley and finished third behind Able Dragon, before toying with his opposition last month.

He has a hefty 15 pounds more for this outing, but should get a perfect trip from gate four and prove too strong yet again.

His toughest opposition is likely to come from My Way, My Goal, Super Bobo, Fun Rider, Wait For Me and Record High.

The John Moore-trained Mighty Winner, who should appreciate returning to 1,400m, looks the safest banker in a tricky opening leg.

He was held up at the 400m, but sprinted well when clear to place third behind promising newcomers Topping Light and Mandarin over an unsuitable 1,000m.

Jockey Darren Beadman should have him nicely tucked away from gate four and he should power over his rivals. (www.scmp.com).

Oddsmakers posted a more open Jockey Challenge market than usual for tonight's all-weather meeting where the state of the going is always the main issue, but Eddie Lai Wai-ming could represent a value chance to take the honours, reports the Racing Post in HK.

Douglas Whyte was the opening 4.2 favourite with his usual strong book of rides, ahead of Darren Beadman at 5.0 and Sunday's winner Keith Yeung Ming-lun at 6.5. Greg Cheyne (7.0) and Zac Purton (7.5) were also listed under double figures.

But it doesn't stop there on a tough night and punters might find more value in the 15.0 for Lai, who has a good chance of stepping off the mark in the right fashion.

Lai's opening mount, Alive And Kicking, shapes to get the box-seat run behind the speedsters from barrier two and that position is usually an advantage on the dirt.

From there, Lai will follow up with solid chances in Plot Ratio (race three), who won his only dirt start, and will again get the right run on Century Super Star (race five). Lai is aboard one of the night's most interesting runners, Gem Of Chiu Ton, who is having his first run for Tony Cruz in race seven.

Gem Of Chiu Ton's trials this season have indicated he will return to the track in good form and he is a quality galloper, though Lai will have the task of overcoming gate 14.

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The Jockey Club may have as many as five foreign horses contesting the three Cathay Pacific International Trial events next month with four invitations having already been issued.

The Sprint Trial on November 22 looks set to feature three foreign runners, while globetrotting South African trainer Mike De Kock has scheduled the 2008 Hong Kong Cup winner, Eagle Mountain, to return to racing in the Mile Trial the same day, and Luca Cumani has been invited to run QE II Cup winner Presvis in the Cup Trial on November 15.

"Presvis is not a certain runner at this stage but has been invited - Luca Cumani is also considering running him first-up in an all-weather race at Wolverhampton," said Mark Player, the club's international racing manager.

"But we're delighted that Eagle Mountain is coming. He hasn't raced since winning the Hong Kong Cup, but when Mike brought him back from a year off in October last year, Eagle Mountain won a Group Three over a mile at Newmarket before going to the 2,400m of the Breeders' Cup Turf and then here.

"So the mile is a normal point for the horse to kick off again and Mike believes the three-week gap then stepping up to 2,000m in the Cup will suit him perfectly."

In addition to top class Australian sprinters Apache Cat and Scenic Blast, who is already here, the Sprint Trial may feature the North American Cannonball, after he runs at the Breeders' Cup meeting on November 6 and 7.

"His trainer, Wesley Ward, is interested in running here as a lead-up to the international meeting but we'll discuss that further with him after Cannonball runs at Santa Anita," Player said.

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The Hong Kong Jockey Club has issued four invitations for the Cathay Pacific International Cup, Sprint and Mile Trials to take place on 15 and 22 November.

The invitees are:

Cathay Pacific International Sprint Trial - Scenic Blast, Apache Cat

Cathay Pacific International Mile Trial - Eagle Mountain

Cathay Pacific International Mile/Cup Trial - Presvis

"We are very pleased to have attracted top class names from three major racing jurisdictions for the first Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International trials open to overseas horses," said Mr William A Nader, the Club's Executive Director of Racing.

"These trials were opened to improve the preparation of horses guaranteed a start in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races and it's terrific that we have been met with such a positive response.

"Three of these horses have been to Hong Kong before and their participation in the trials will help reacquaint Hong Kong fans of their capabilities before the big day on 13 December."

Scenic Blast, already in Hong Kong, will collect a US$1m bonus should he win the HK$12m Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint having already won series legs in the Lightning Stakes and the King¡¦s Stand Stakes. On his latest start, the Sprinters Stakes in Japan, the Western Australian star met with severe interference and finished down the field.

Apache Cat, an eight-time Gr.1 winner and former champion sprinter in Australia, finished third in the CXHK Sprint last season and tuned up for his latest Hong Kong mission by landing Schweppes Stakes (Gr.2-1200m) at Moonee Valley at the weekend. Damien Oliver is expected to ride him in both the CX International Sprint Trial and the CXHK Sprint itself.

Top American turf sprinter Cannonball is also under consideration for the Sprint Trial. Cannonball finished runner-up in the Golden Jubilee Stakes, three places ahead of Hong Kong champion Sacred Kingdom, at Royal Ascot earlier this year.

The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on 7 November is the next scheduled start for Cannonball. After this race, the Club and his trainer, Wesley Ward, will decide on the potential of an invitation to contest the Sprint Trial on 22 November before an intended date in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint.

Eagle Mountain, meanwhile, will return to the scene of his triumph in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup last season. Mike de Kock¡¦s champion has been off the track since that famous victory but the South African handler is keen to tackle the CX International Mile Trial to mirror Eagle Mountain¡¦s successful return after a similarly lengthy layoff last year in the Joel Stakes (Gr.3-1600m) at Newmarket.

Finally, trainer Luca Cumani is making good on his promise to bring back Presvis, his terrific Audemars Piguet QEII Cup hero, for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup over the same course and distance.

Presvis is unraced since his fast-finishing second in the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji in May and has been invited to prep for December's international meet in CX International Cup Trial.

The handicapper goes back to work today to see how to even the game with Taverner, David Hall's exciting sprinter, after he defied a ratings surge to toy once again with average opposition up the straight.

\Taverner was part of an exciting double for Hall and jockey Brett Prebble, who later won with Algarve, and punters who accepted the long odds-on were never concerned as he did something even Silent Witness had not had been asked to do. "I know he's won the race today but to go up 16 points after his first win - Silent Witness only went up 15," said Hall.

"Clearly, we have a horse with some potential because he's won well again but I hope the handicapper isn't too hard on him. He beat Classic Navigator the first start and Shy Baldy today. I'd like to see him get another chance to run in Class Three because he is still inexperienced and having to do it too tough in Class Two at this stage won't help his development."

Prebble said he rode Taverner close again because he is concerned that inexperience will come against him once he is among horses.

"He wasn't the best away and really doesn't want to be ridden for speed because we know he's going to get longer, but I was worried it could all go pear-shaped getting in behind horses," he said. "Taverner's just so new. He's probably at the stage where David can go to 1,200m, but there are flaws in his make up just yet that he's overcoming through his natural ability."

On what was a standout day for International Sale horses, who won half the card, the Hall-trained pair stood out as horses going somewhere quickly and Algarve's return promised much better, too. "Mentally he's matured and that has been the key point," said Prebble.

"He's a lovely stayer in the making and he's got the finishing speed that can make a stayer a cut above the ordinary. He did well to win it really because the pace slackened for no reason at the 700m and Algarve went straight into the horses in front and nearly came down."

Hall said Algarve's trial win had shown everyone the four-year-old had taken a step during his break since winning on the final day last season, but he had saved him for yesterday's event, particularly. "He looked pretty attractive at the bottom of Class Three off a 61 rating and I could have run him earlier, but I saw this race in the programme with a 65-rating top weight and that allowed him to get another crack at Class Four horses so I kept him for this," he said.

"Algarve is on his way now and looks progressive. It works nicely with these kinds of horses with a bit of scope, giving them the one or two races late in the season and then they do take something from it during the summer break.

"He's shown us how well he's come back, he's certainly going to get further, so we'll see just what we've got as he progresses." (www.racing.scmp.com)

From Alan Aitken (HK Racing Post)

Improving apprentice Ben So Tik-hung ended the weekend meeting a winner with Berio and is at nice odds in tonight's Happy Valley Jockey Challenge to continue the good work and upstage the big names.

Douglas Whyte at 3.4 was the worthy early favourite ahead of Brett Prebble at 5.50, but So, quoted at 17.0, has a chance to win the honours for the first time.

With the rail in the "C" position, on pace and on the rail is golden.

A quick look across the 10-pound claimer's six mounts suggest he is going to see plenty of those spots all night.

Ganbaria is a likely leader in race one after being unable to get control from wide barriers at his first two runs this term, while Classa Supreme doesn't know any way to race, except get out and run.

Dr Well (race four) and Macho Expresso (race five) are also regular leaders and So comes home with Easy Ahead (race eight), who led at his first run over the Valley mile last time and held off all but promising Hannah King Prawn.

With good gates, the right style and light weights, So's rides look tailor-made for a Valley with the rail out.

Darren Beadman was the rider that early shoppers wanted at 14.0 and he trimmed up to 11.0 quickly. The Australian has a number of winning hopes among his five rides though, High Luck (race two) and Elite Sixty Six (race seven) aside, he hasn't been dealt much of a hand with the barrier draws. (www.racing.scmp.com)

With the ice finally broken for the season last Sunday, top French rider Olivier Doleuze pressed on with the good work by landing a double on Wednesday night at Happy Valley and collecting the Jockey Challenge honours on a countback, reports the HK Racing Post.

Doleuze scored on Win-A-Lot for Sean Woods in the third event then Holiday Sun for Danny Shum Chap-shing two races later, giving him 24 points for the night's Challenge.

Keith Yeung Ming-lun matched that total but only landed one winner - the durable nine-year-old Fat Dragon for Me Tsui Yu-sak in the night's feature, the Hong Kong Golf Club Centenary Cup - so Doleuze was declared the victor as he had more race wins.

Woods said that Win-A-Lot will be back at Happy Valley next Wednesday night after his rails-hugging success last night underlined how well he has come back this term and the trainer said farrier Paul Cumming could take plenty of credit.

"Not only this horse, but he's done a good job with a few of mine with hoof problems," said Woods. "Win-A-Lot had problems with quarter cracks last year and he was a patch-up job all season. But Paul's done some work on getting his feet right and this is the first time the horse has started his season without any pain.

"Olivier said he really picked up and stretched tonight."

Paul O'Sullivan took training honours with a double as Big Kahuna (Brett Prebble) and Soviet Pearl (Derek Leung Ka-chun) took out the first two events for the New Zealander.

"We made the decision to run Big Kahuna on the dirt first time out after he'd trialled well on the surface but he just didn't kick on it," the trainer said. "Still, he's a horse that just needs everything to go right like he had tonight and that's his chance to win.

Leading local jockey Alex Lai Hoi-wing has been stood down from riding indefinitely, pending an inquiry into a positive drug test for the banned substance methylephedrine.

Dr Terence Wan See-ming, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's racing laboratory chief, informed the stewards that Lai's urine sample, supplied after his name was drawn randomly along with other riders on October 4 at Sha Tin, showed the presence of methylephedrine above the club's prescribed threshold.

Lai was informed of the finding but did not take up his right to have the reserve, or "B" portion of the sample, tested by an independent laboratory.

That will speed the process to an inquiry into the test and chief steward Kim Kelly said last night that the hearing "will be sooner rather than later".

This is the first season that the Jockey Club has included methylephedrine on its list of banned substances, falling into line with other racing jurisdictions and with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Wada lists methylephedrine as a banned stimulant when the concentration in a urine sample is greater than 10 micrograms per millilitre and the Jockey Club has adopted the same threshold.

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It was all about firsts for four jockeys at Sha Tin yesterday as William Pike, Gerald Mosse, Brett Doyle and Olivier Doleuze declared the season officially open, reports the HK Racing Post

It says: Aside from new apprentice Kevin Leung Ka-wai, who has had just a handful of rides, they were the only remaining "maidens" for the new term and set about changing all that from the opening race.

Pike offered a fairly hesitant victory wave as the Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Forever Fortune landed the opener at lengthy odds to open the Western Australian rider's Hong Kong account in a humble Class Five but there was a reason.

"I've run clear a few times before and been caught. This time we kept going," he smiled. "It's so good to get that one out of the way. It has been very frustrating.

"It's so competitive just getting on good rides and handicapping makes the races themselves very competitive, too. You don't see many horses win by big margins here. So it's tough but I did give myself a chance on this horse today. He didn't have the best run through the race last time and still wasn't that far away.

"Danny told me the horse has a lot more ability than a 22-rater but has had problems. He's moving well at the moment so he might be able to win again."

Doleuze, as one would have expected, was more expressive when the Caspar Fownes-trained Above All broke the ice for him in another upset in the seventh.

"Oh that's nice. Back on track at last," laughed Doleuze at ride 45 for the season after finishing second in two races earlier on the card. "That bottle of champagne they give for winning the race will taste very sweet."

Doleuze had been aboard in Above All's only previous win, also at 1,600m, and said the parallels didn't end there.

"The race was run at a very similar tempo and my horse really gave me a good response sprinting off the slow pace," he said. "He's still a big baby and I like him. He can get better." Then there was Flying Supreme, who won for Doyle, with trainer Andy Leung Ting-wah making the race-winning tactical decision to send him forward from gate 14, despite top weight.

"I only thought there was one leader in the race and a field that looked divided into two sections. If we dropped back we were going to be with the second section at the back - a lot of inexperienced horses without much chance - and would get too far away so I asked Brett to jump and go," he said. (www.racing.scmp.com)

He may not be a flashy worker in the mornings, but Thumbs Up definitely looked a different horse in yesterday's opening turf barrier trial (1,600m) at Sha Tin, reports the HK Racing Post.

It says: The five-year-old saves his best for race days, but Brett Prebble made sure there was no slacking from the five-year-old this time around as he got him to focus on the job from the time the starter said go. The Danny Shum-trained gelding travelled strongly at the back and, once heads turned for home, Prebble asked him for an effort and he zoomed over the top of his opposition to score by a 1/2 length over much-improved Arion Of Chiu Ton.

The performance from the son of Shinko King signalled a warning to Viva Pataca and company. Viva Pataca also trialled well yesterday morning down the 1,000m straight course. All the big guns are targeting the Group Three Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) on October 25.

Thumbs Up arrived from New Zealand in 2007 with good credentials and he never let down his new owners with a string of smart performance last season, including a brilliant win in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile over talented More Bountiful and a second to Collection in the Hong Kong Derby.

Prebble continued on his winning way when Blaze King coasted to a cosy 7-3/4 length win over newcomer Mr Celerity - from the yard of Tony Millard - in the second turf heat (800m). Blaze King has improved leaps and bounds since moving to trainer David Hall during the off season as he gave his rivals a galloping lesson to clock a smart time of 45.96 seconds - his final sectional in just 21.9 seconds.

John Moore's boom horse, Happy Zero, returned from his summer break in Sunday's Sha Tin Sprint Trophy with a last-to-first win and a message for the established top sprinters that there is a new kid on the block.

While many expected Happy Zero (Weichong Marwing) to return with a victory and he was heavily supported in betting, most if not all of his backers would have gladly taken their money back at the 400m when the Danzero five-year-old was last and under pressure in the high-speed contest.

The only man who wasn't concerned was Marwing.

"I always anticipated he would be off the bit in this race. He had only run at 1,000m once last season - at his first start - then John stepped him up to 1,200, then 1,400m and he was strong at those distances," he said.

"So in his second season, 1,000m was always going to be on the short side, especially with so much speed in the race. I kind of expected they would get him off his feet. At the 400m I was niggling and niggling and I had a look up and saw he was three or four lengths off them and I wasn't worried. I knew once I got serious that he could make it up quickly."

Now the winner of six of his seven starts, Happy Zero still did a few things wrong but his finishing sprint after lurching towards the inside of the course at the 300m was devastating as he swept home from stablemate One World and Brilliant Chapter, the pair who had been his company at the rear of the pack for most of the race.

"Friendly Gains or something inside or outside him made a movement and Happy Zero shied away and overreacted," Marwing said. "He took himself across to the inside but once they're galloping like that in the clear and enjoying it, you don't want to correct them if there's nobody else there and they have full momentum. Overall, he's a lovely ride - I don't like to set high tables for horses but I think he'll do Hong Kong proud. He can only get better." (www.racing.scmp.com)

A refreshed Douglas Whyte is back from suspension and thrust into the hot seat in today's Jockey Challenge at Sha Tin, and might well have it put to bed before the meeting is half over.
Oddsmakers initially flagged a slightly more generous price for Whyte than the 2.0 when betting opened last night, but it's difficult to ignore his early strength.

He opens the card with Dash Ahead, Cool Runnings, Endless Luck and Darren in the first four races, and nobody would be the least surprised if all four were to salute and put second favourite Mathew Chadwick (3.3) and the remainder of the riders into chase mode before half-time.

Chadwick looks to have the goods in race five with Penglai Xianzi before better rides later in the card, but Whyte is not lacking there, either, with Tuscan Spirit (race eight) and Holi Ravioli (race nine) strong chances, too. A number of riders have one or two chances during the afternoon that could see them on the points board, but assessors could not find Brett Prebble and Howard Cheng Yue-tin as better than 10.0 chance.

Only Whyte looks to have real depth across most of his 10 mounts and backers should take the early odds and hope it plays to the script because there will be no chance to get on him "in play" if it does. (www.racing.scmp.com).

Trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai applied some quick thinking at entry time and one of his own axioms about the start of the racing season to come away with a three-timer - the horse with a run under the belt has the edge.

Yiu produced Ambitious Treasure (Alex La Hoi-wing) and Matsukaze (Jacky Tong Chi- kit) to win the third and fourth events, then followed up in the main sprint with Ultra Fantasy (James Winks). The three had one thing in common.

"At the start of every season, the horse which has had a race has the advantage," said Yiu.

"The other favourites in the race that Ambitious Treasure won were all first-up and in Ultra Fantasy's race, he was the only runner in the field to have a race this season."

In fact, that fitness edge convinced Yiu to nominate Ultra Fantasy when entries were extended for the Cheung Shan Handicap.

"I had no plan to run but when I saw the field and they called for more entries, I thought, why not, if he's fit?" said the trainer.

"I haven't had the horse for many runs but his last run last season was quite good, finishing well behind Deferential, who was favourite today. He's been going quite well and I told the owner he had a place chance first time out at Happy Valley, even though he was 80-1. He ran second and I thought he had progressed from that to today."

Winks said he was always confident in running after finding the box-seat run and noted Ultra Fantasy's work and appearance had improved lately.

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With Sacred Kingdom withdrawn from last Friday's only turf trial at Sha Tin with a hoof problem, all eyes were on Able One, Thumbs Up, Sight Winner and Hawkes Bay, but it was Gem Of Chui Ton who upstaged the big names with an impressive win, reports the HK Racing Post.

It adds: The son of Tobougg displayed a lethal turn of foot to come from third last and nail last-start winner Deferential in a high-class 1,000m heat.

The five-year-old has been a frustrating horse to follow, but it looks like he has finally turned the corner and his patient connections and army of fans are in for their just rewards this campaign. Gem Of Chui Ton arrived two seasons ago with good credentials from England and joined Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's stable before moving to Me Tsui Yu-sak at the middle of last term. He has had 10 starts for only two placings.

Now trained by in-form Tony Cruz, Gem Of Chui Ton lengthened well over the final stages when asked by Matthew Chadwick to beat several Group-class horses and clock 58.64 seconds (22.4 for the final section). Able One (third), Thumbs Up (eighth), Sight Winner (ninth) and Hawkes Bay (10th) trialled nicely, too, and they appear set for successful campaigns.

In the 1,200m all-weather track trial, Sparkling responded well when asked for a superior effort by Zac Purton in the final 100m to clock the quickest time (1.11.52) of the morning on the surface.

The three International Trial races will be thrown open to invited overseas runners looking for a suitable lead-up run into the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races this year, reports the HK Racing Post.

It says: The first will be the International Cup Trial (2,000m) on November 15, then the Sprint Trial (1,200m) and Mile Trial on November 22, with a further three weeks until the international meeting itself on December 13.

International racing manager Mark Player said the catalyst to pushing ahead with the change had been Australian sprinter Scenic Blast, who shares the world's highest rating with Hong Kong's Sacred Kingdom.

"We were particularly keen to get Scenic Blast here for a showdown with Sacred Kingdom and our other top sprinters in December," Player (pictured) said. "But the problem for his trainer, Danny Morton, is that the horse is going to run in the Sprinters' Stakes [in Japan on October 4], which is more than two months before Hong Kong.

"Now he is required to leave Japan after that race, but returning to England, where he has been since the July Cup, was going to be his only option. He could not return to Australia and then come back here. Not only is going back to England before he comes here a tough ask of a horse, but he would have been going there when the weather is starting to get cold."

In terms of the horse's preparation for December, the chance to run over the course and distance three weeks early appealed to Morton. "Seventy days between runs was not going to be an ideal preparation for a race like the Hong Kong Sprint. This way, Scenic Blast gets a suitable race, the fans get to see him run against most of his main opposition for the race in December, and everyone has a better idea of how he lines up on the big day," Player said.

"As awareness of our international races continues to rise, it's important we make it as appealing as possible for people to bring horses here and know they are going to do themselves justice; if that means providing a lead-up opportunity then we believe we should do that.

"It is something a number of trainers have canvassed with us in recent years. In other countries, domestic programmes are not designed to fit into a Hong Kong campaign."

There's been no stopping top apprentice Matthew Chadwick and he looks the one to beat in the Jockey Challenge at Happy Valley tonight, says Alain Aitken in the HK Racing Post.

He adds: Chadwick was posted the 4.0 favourite, just ahead of Zac Purton at 4.5, when markets opened yesterday afternoon and, if Chadwick can continue to make something of his lesser rides, that price looks good value. The apprentice managed to squeeze vital points out of minor placings on the weekend with Little Big Boy and Perfect Fit in races where he didn't look a serious player on paper. That is the key to continued success in the Challenge as the good rides tend to take care of themselves and Chadwick is getting plenty of those these days.

Tonight's line-up sees him with strong chances in the last five races, three of them for Tony Cruz, who has shot out of the starting gates this season like Silent Witness.

Those late rides may prove enough to carry him home, but Chadwick's knack for getting minor points from the types of rides he has earlier - Super Special (race one) and Karbridge (race three) - could see him a red-hot favourite by the time the second half of the card comes around. By then, Purton's supporters will already know their fate as his serious opportunities run out at race five with Amityship.

Douglas Whyte's backers were offered value odds at 6.0 - he is missing from two races - but picking up the promoted reserve Master Dreamer in race four has boosted his chances by one and he is a serious player yet again.

Royal Flush was a transformed horse last season when a visor was added, and he should kick off a campaign aimed at December's Hong Kong Sprint on a winning note in the final leg of Sunday's Triple Trio at Sha Tin, reports John Bell in the HK Racing Post.

He says: The Tony Millard-trained three-year-old ran well at his first three starts, before winning his next two in brilliant fashion, including the Juvenile Sprint Trophy, once the vision-reducing headgear was called on. Following his last success, Millard indicated he was keen to have a crack at the world's best sprinters on International Day, and for that to become a possibility, Royal Flush should have little trouble in demolishing his Class Three rivals this time.

He looked in fantastic order when winning a barrier trial on September 8 by a big margin, and under in-form Zac Purton, the Acclamation colt should prove too good. His main dangers are Lucky Red, Smart Currency, Noble Choice, Amazing Flyer and Windicator Returns.

In the opening leg, Fly Me To The Moon has an important fitness edge and shapes as the best banker option. The John Size-trained seven-year-old resumed last weekend with a satisfactory sixth to All Time High, but gave the impression he would improve from the outing. He should take a forward position under Douglas Whyte and play a hand in the finish, with his toughest rivals set to be Namjong Hunter, Tremendous Plus, Penglai Xianzi, Sure Good and Decagonal.

In the middle pin, My Whisky fits the banker bill, given he should be able to control the race from the front under Howard Cheng Yue-tin.

The clash of the world's top two sprinters in Tokyo next month is off after Sacred Kingdom was ruled out of the Group One Sprinters Stakes yesterday with a foot problem, reports the HK Racing Post.

The gelding was scheduled to leave for Tokyo next Friday, and track watchers were surprised when the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained gelding failed to turn up for a vital barrier trial in the morning. Yiu later confirmed all was not well with the six-year-old.

"He was shod on Monday and had not been comfortable adjusting to the new shoes, and then we found he had a strong pulse and a little bit of heat in his left fore," Yiu said. "We are playing very safe with him, and he won't be going to Nakayama. For the sake of a single race, it simply isn't worth risking his health."

The cancellation of his showdown with King's Stand Stakes winner Scenic Blast, with whom Sacred Kingdom now shares the world's top billing, echoes Sacred Kingdom's cancelled Japan trip for the same event a year ago. On that occasion, it was an unrelated fracture to a sesamoid bone, discovered in mid-September, that kept him out of racing for several months. The gelding took a few runs to return to top form and regained his place as the world's top-ranked sprinter in winning the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore in May before he failed to produce his best form in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, finishing fifth.

Yiu said he was hopeful the injury would prove to be a minor setback and would not affect the horse's preparation for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint in December, a race he won brilliantly in 2007 but was forced to miss last season.

"We will take the shoes off, we'll have a good look at him in the next few days and we will X-ray his joints to be sure there are no problems there," the trainer said. "The Hong Kong Sprint is still a fair way off so, if there is no more serious problem, he should be okay to get back to his training for the December internationals. The main thing in stopping with him right now is that we still have the horse and we can assess where he is over the coming days."

With the advantage of an inside alley and the engagement of top jockey Brett Prebble, Sohna should be able to shake off his bridesmaid tag in the middle pin of tonight's Triple Trio at Happy Valley, reports the HK Racing Post's John Bell.

He says: Although the Sean Woods-trained gelding's win ratio of one win from 38 starts is somewhat disturbing, the six-year-old has managed a further 18 placings and seems to have found a tailor-made event to kick off his new campaign in grand style. The last time the Canny Lad gelding resumed from a similar break, he looked all over a winner before being nailed on the line by the capable Classic Reunion.

He should get an ideal run in midfield from gate one and be presented at the right time in the straight by Prebble, with his toughest opposition set to come from Regency Kingdom, Marble Red - who will sport blinkers for the first time - Dr Well and Carry Good News.

In the opening leg, Prebble looks the man to follow again when he teams up with the Caspar Fownes-trained First Baby. Similar to Sohna, the six-year-old has been missing from the winner's stall for some time, but looks set to break through after coming up with the prized inside alley and being perfectly placed on his best form. Other worthy inclusions are Amazing Fortune, Wait For Me, Care Free Midas, Holiday Sun and Jolly Wongchoy.