Wintrow brightens up quiet day for Size

Reigning champion trainer John Size may have had a quiet day in the winner's circle by his own high standards yesterday, but there was talk that another 'modern-day record' had fallen to him with the sole victory of Wintrow.

Size won with Wintrow (Shane Dye) in the ninth race to give him 11 race meetings in succession with at least one win, and some commentators believed that to be a record.

As with many of the records in Hong Kong racing, which were ill-kept at best until more recent times, that 'record' might be acid-tested by the facts once it is published, but what is certain is Size's unbending consistency.

'Wintrow had everything he liked today - he was drawn wide to come down the outside which is where he is most comfortable making his run,' Size said. 'There was a good speed on, he seems ideal for the 1,400 metre trip. Like most winners, he got all things to suit and that was enough to get him home.'

Wintrow was Size's 25th winner for the season from only 160 runners and the trainer might have thought himself one of the unluckiest beaten trainers in the last event as Fortune Smiles had little racing room down the home straight.

Wintrow was part of a winning double for Dye, who picked up another two successes on suspended Douglas Whyte but remains a massive 19 wins in arrears in second place on the riders' table. The South African has another meeting to serve but will also be absent next weekend as he represents Hong Kong in the Hanshin Super Jockeys Series in Japan.