'That's more my horse!' said a beaming owner Larry Yeung Chi-kin after Danehill Express announced himself as a future big-race contender in the Quicken Away Handicap yesterday.
Yeung, who has raced champions like Mr Vitality, Oriental Express and Olympic Express in the past, has had a lean run since the retirement of trainer Ivan Allan, with only David Oughton able to provide him with a winner in Oriental Magic earlier this season.
'It has been a while but I think this horse has some real potential,' said Yeung, who took a call from an equally thrilled Allan moments after the race.
A half-brother to Mr Vitality, Danehill Express was a $1 million yearling in Australia with a potential stud career, bought and raced by Yeung and Allan.
He showed enormous promise as a three-year-old in Melbourne, quickly rising to a second placing at Group One level in March last year, but a lung infection later stalled the colt's career.
'I'm unaware of what actually happened with him in Australia,' said trainer John Size. 'But he didn't come to me with any problem and he hasn't had one since.