Hitch your wagon to Travel Brand
All eyes were on Joao Moreira's debut winner as a club jockey in the final race at Happy Valley on Sunday, but behind him were a couple of horses closing in quickly on their next wins.

Give Ambitious Dragon time to heal its injury, says trainer Millard
Joao Moreira took his time about it before he made his grand entrance as a fully fledged part of the Hong Kong jockey roster on Sunday but the horse which brought him here in the first place,...

Competition comes at a cost - sitting in the jockeys room
Between the self-interest views of jockeys and trainers on how many riders should be available, it seems the Hong Kong Jockey Club's licensing committee might have the size of the jockeys' roster...

Trainer Benno Yung scores his first Hong Kong win with Backbench Blues
Rookie trainer Benno Yung Tin-pang admitted the pressure was mounting as the weeks went by without success and the win total of fellow freshman Chris So Wai-yin continued to rise.

Star Hong Kong horse Lucky Nine moves up a gear Down Under
Trainer Caspar Fownes is starting to gather more confidence about Lucky Nine's first Australian task in the Group One Manikato Stakes on Friday night after the sprinter completed a strong solo...

Tye Angland is worried competition will get harder with more jockeys on-board
Tye Angland's consistent early-season efforts have him firmly entrenched in the top five of the jockeys' championship, but with an influx of riding talent about to make opportunities more scarce,...

Lui's double a study in finding the right level
If there was a common link to trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai's stable double at Happy Valley, it was all about one word - acclimatisation. Well, make that two words - handicap was the other.

Racing Digest, October 21, 2013
Trainer Caspar Fownes missed yesterday's meeting to oversee the preparations of Lucky Nine in Melbourne but his former apprentice Vincent Ho Chak-yiu didn't let that stand in the way of a stable success.

Tapestry ready to have plenty of Fun first up
Michael Chang Chun-wai's smart-looking sprinter Fun Tapestry seems to have had any rust removed after a long lay off and could be one of the rare high-rated Private Purchases to strike early.

Joao Moreira - The Boy from Brazil becomes Magic Man
Joao Moreira - who begins his Hong Kong career today at Happy Valley - looks well-practised at telling how he began riding without the complications of saddles or stirrups in the agricultural...

Return of Umberto Rispoli to Hong Kong makes it hard for new jockeys
A world that was already proving tough for two of the season's new jockeys just got considerably tougher with the announcement on Friday that Umberto Rispoli will return to the riding roster from...

Purton paints a rosy picture of winning pair
Zac Purton was one common link between two horses at last weekend's Sha Tin meeting, leaving the distinct impression their wins would not be their last. Post-race, Purton had good things to...

From Class Five to five dimensional form analysis
To be fair, the age-changing and Class Five specialist ex-trainer Andy Leung Ting-wah never gave any impression he would take to retirement quietly or gracefully - the bright yellow jackets he...

Trainer Michael Chang scores a double in forgettable night for punters
On a track that seemed to give leaders an extra kick after turning, trainer Michael Chang Chung-wai turned his frustrating early season record around at the expense of favourite backers with a..

No news is hardly good news for Chengdu venture
Naturally enough, the silence is deafening but it seems the China Horse Club has outplayed Sheikh Mohammed's Darley and the proposed "international" race meeting in Chengdu will...

Punters deserve a lot better
You can't walk through a press conference at the Jockey Club these days without stubbing your toe on a customer-centric or a market segmentation, but the concept of consumer-friendly has been...

Lucky Nine passes rehearsal at Moonee Valley
Jockey Brett Prebble wasn't concerned about some misbehaviour behind the barriers by five-time Group One winner Lucky Nine prior to a much-needed jump-out at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning.

Take Heart with Able Friend and company
There were no prizes for finding the eye-catching runs on Saturday from horses which promise to make a real name for themselves in the better classes. Designs On Rome and Willie Cazals stood out...

Slippery slope for Purton as Moreira makes grand entrance
Brazilian Joao Moreira's arrival this Sunday will put the squeeze on the already tight top end of the jockeys' championship.

Improving Cazals can compete with the best in Vase, says confident Cruz
Tony Cruz heads the Sa Sa Ladies Purse with Blazing Speed next start, confident the horse will measure up to Group Three company after a tough Chinese Recreation Club Challenge Cup win on Saturday...

Hall finds patience pays off nicely with Berlinski
The patience shown by trainer David Hall with Berlinski last season paid off with a grinding win first-up, in a roughhouse race where being stuck in an awkward, three-wide position on the short-...

Purton scores a treble to ride back into jockey championship contention
It's on again. With the tease of a third contender waiting in the wings in the shape of Joao Moreira, Zac Purton was back to the form that saw him threaten Douglas Whyte last season as he surged...

Trainer John Moore's 'lesser lights' give stable more depth
While the highly anticipated return of a trio of John Moore-trained Hong Kong Derby hopefuls drew praise but failed to result in a win, the trainer still managed a double with a pair of...

Crackerjack comes good for new trainer Tony Millard
Eighteen months after running a flashing second in the UAE Derby in Dubai, Crackerjack finally got his mojo back and turned his life around at the end of a slippery slope that had seen him lose...

Racing Digest, October 13, 2013
It was a case of welcome back and farewell for French rider Gerald Mosse, as he showed his renowned judgment of pace to land a betting plunge in the third ride of a new stint then found...