Whyte's lead cut despite another three in the bag
After racking up a treble by race six yesterday, champion jockey Douglas Whyte didn't think he would be leaving the course with his lead in the championship cut back. And trainer Tony Cruz could not have thought he could send out a four-timer and make not a dent in John Size's championship lead by day's end. But that was what happened.
Cruz joined with Whyte to win with Lucky Paradise (race two) and Super Brose (race six), and added East Ocean Dragon (Weichong Marwing) and Medic Corps (Robbie Fradd) for good measure, but still ended the day as he began - 14 astern of the Size juggernaut.
Whyte also won the opener on the Peter Ho-trained Classa Victory, but found Shane Dye a winner closer in the title race by sign-off. 'I didn't imagine that would be the end result, but John Size is just absolutely remarkable,' Whyte said.
'I mean Tony's team is really firing, but he couldn't gain at all, even with four winners. Still, the guy you have to feel a bit sorry for today is my good mate, Felix Coetzee. He would have been on four winners himself but for his knee injury and I hope he is back riding soon to take some of the benefits of how well Tony Cruz's horses are running. He wouldn't want to have to sit home and watch too many days like this one.'
Coetzee, who has a knee ligament injury, is hopeful of a return for this Saturday's Sha Tin fixture.
Whyte opened the Year of the Goat with a fine effort from Classa Victory to win after being hoisted 12 points in the ratings for his previous success. 'It's always nice to win the first race of the new year. He is only a small horse and did a good job after being pushed up quickly in the handicaps,' Whyte said.
'I suppose from the stands it might have looked like he did it comfortably today, but I can tell you everything went perfectly in the run and I still had to get underneath him to make him get home.'
Whyte positioned Classa Victory closer with the softer tempo. 'And with the top weight, I thought it better if he was a bit handier. He responded well, though he didn't win easily like last time. He looks a decent horse and hopefully there is still a little bit more improvement there so he can win again before the handicapper truly gets hold of him.'
Whyte's pair for Cruz opened with Lucky Paradise, whose owner Whyte bumped into recently during a break in Thailand. 'There we were in Phuket in a restaurant, the only two couples there, myself and my wife and Alan Zeman and his wife,' Whyte recalled. 'I didn't know him before that and here I am riding a winner for him. Funny world sometimes.'
Whyte was able to control the pace on Lucky Paradise after the horse jumped better than expected. 'I went out to be handy on him, though not necessarily to lead. On the way to the start, I felt he was a bit of a clumsy sort of horse, so when he jumped so well I decided it would be better to find the rail and not get too cluttered up on him,' Whyte said. 'It all fell into place from there.'
More impressive though was Super Brose, who never looked like losing in the 1,000-metre sixth and Whyte forecast that the minimum distance would not be his limit. 'He does feel like he will get 1,200 metres quite comfortably to me,' he said. 'He travelled like a nice horse today and gave me a very good feel.'
Austrian rider Andreas Suborics received a four-day ban out of the eighth event and will start it immediately. Suborics caused interference as he came down from a wide gate on Opera Magic to rack up his second careless riding ban in quick succession. The suspension will keep him out until the February 23 meeting.
