In-form Whyte and Yiu join forces in perfect pointer for punters
South African newcomer Douglas Whyte has had an encouraging start to his new Hong Kong career with two winners in two racedays and the happy trend could continue at Sha Tin tonight.
Whyte booted home smooth winner Fireball and got trainer Alex Wong Yu-on off the mark with Paradise at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Golden Duke is his big chance to keep the winner-a-meeting sequence going in tonight's opening event where the promising youngster of last season may just have the edge in a conditions race restricted to non-winners.
Whyte certainly has no complaints about the way things have gone to date and said: 'With just a bit more luck I would have had a double on the first day. Chop-Chop ran a great race and he could easily have got up.
'I have found it quite easy to settle into Hong Kong and the way of racing here. I have been fortunate enough to be on some nice horses and I am just hoping that I can keep getting the winners.' Golden Duke is in the care of one of local racing's major success stories - now second-season trainer, Ricky P. F. Yiu.
Yiu started his career with less than a dozen horses but has quickly proved that the Jockey Club was absolutely right to grant him a licence. And Yiu, with two winners on the board already, gives every indication that - with virtually a full stable - he will simply continue to deliver the winners as he did in his debut year.
Golden Duke started at shortish odds at his three starts last season and finished third in them all. But he was running up against some useful juvenile company - and over trips that were not completely in his favour.