The announcements are almost routine and the plunges do not always come off - but that was not the case with American-bred Beautifulday (10-1 at the jump) who took to the dirt and won handily from the David Hill-trained Gems (7-1), with the Michael Kinane-ridden Musical Insight (6-1) third in the dramatic Class Five, 1,800-metre event.

Legrix was then required for the Geoff Lane-trained topweight Bond (6-1) in the following sixth event on the grass and the support suggested a bold showing.

But there was high drama when the field had gone about 150 metres, with tightening taking place from the outside that left Legrix and the Eric Saint-Martin ridden favourite All Satisfy (5-2) with nowhere to go.

Claimer Roger K. H. Yu on Storm Boy (99-1) appeared to start the tightening move but Lucky Ahead (30-1) shied noticeably off the one on his outside and came in on Daring Steed (8-1).

All Satisfy was put out of the race but Legrix took a spectacular tumble - only to walk away.

He came back to the weighing room with trainer Lane none the worse for one of the season's more dramatic falls.

While Legrix and Saint-Martin suffered as far as winning chances were concerned, the benefactor from the whole affair was Steven King on Daring Steed, who soon found himself in front and was not headed.

The stewards held an inquiry into the incident but the results stood and a lengthy hearing was continuing after racing.

The sixth race had also featured another major plunge on the grey Satisfaction Smile (4-1) but there was no happy ending to this gamble.

Satisfaction Smile, with Brett Doyle up, missed the start and was never really a factor thereafter.

There had been much more satisfaction in the second event for Doyle and retaining trainer Andy T. W. Leung when the smart youngster Decouvert (3-1 favourite) won much as he pleased.

Widely touted as a 'good thing', Doyle had few worries in landing the short odds with Decouvert scoring in the Class Four longer sprint by almost two lengths from Good Message (7-1) and Giant (8-1).

New Club jockey Grant Cooksley had the perfect start to his three-month Hong Kong stint when he produced a cool, calculating and totally professional ride to land the featured P & O Challenge Cup on Score (5-1 favourite).

Hong Kong reputations have been made and broken very early when new jockeys make their local debuts but the New Zealand-born Cooksley, vastly experienced in Australasia, is unlikely to go short of rides in the coming weeks.

It is easy to say that Score was unquestionably the one to beat in the Class Two, 1,650-metre event but it was still a race where there were a number of chances and Cooksley, dubbed The Iceman in Australia, stalked the leaders from just better than midfield before pouncing.

He nailed the Basil Marcus-ridden Songs Of Victory (10-1) just short of the post in a perfectly judged finish.

Cooksley said later: 'It was a good way to start and I am very pleased to have won on Score. I knew from what I was told by the trainer that he had ability all right and he won like a good horse.' The meeting opened on an interesting note when 7-2 favourite Art Francais, with claimer Roger Yu up, lodged an adventurous protest against the head winner Honest Dragon (7-1), ridden be fellow apprentice Henry K. C. Tsang.

Art Francais had looked unlucky in that he virtually knuckled over not long after the start of the Class Four, 1,150-metre event on the dirt - with Yu objecting on the grounds that Tsang on the winner had been the culprit.

Having an objection on grounds of interference upheld shortly after the start is rare in this jurisdiction and patrol films shown to the public did not conclusively prove that Honest Dragon and Tsang were even the guilty party as the field, not unnaturally, was racing tightly and Art Francais had missed the start.

The head margin at the finish, however, certainly sustained the general belief that the favourite had been unlucky but there will surely be a dirt race for the Biancone-trained galloper.

It was a rough-and-tumble affair with strongly supported Sterling Chance (6-1) also suffering at a later stage.

Champion jockey Basil Marcus left it late but took the nightcap on 7-1 chance Surplus for retaining trainer David Hayes, getting up well close home to win comfortably from fast-finishing topweight Taurus (8-1) who just edged out favourite Namjong Success (7-2).