Heavily backed griffin flop Ever So Easy has quickly moved to the stable of David Hill after failing behind Perfect Star at Sha Tin on Saturday, writes Robin Parke. The American-bred three-year-old was trained by Alex Wong Siu-tan and ridden on his racecourse debut by stable jockey Larry Cassidy. Very strong support for Ever So Easy in the face of public confidence in topweight and last-start winner Engineman still saw his price forced down to 5-1 in the 1,200-metre event.

Ever So Easy was shaded for second favouritism by Perfect Star, who went on to win the 11-runner juvenile race by half a length, from 9-5 favourite Engineman. The hefty plunge on Ever So Easy was well off the mark and the griffin finished an unexciting seventh, although his lead-up work had been solid. Said Hill: 'Horses change stables all the time in Hong Kong, but it is a bit unusual to get a griffin . . . You have to think it gives you something to work with as he has had only the one run.'