Wadadelight for Prebble
If you enjoyed the theatre of the driving finish to the Aberdeen Handicap, in which Brett Prebble descended late on Wadadelight to defeat Aqua-Treasure (Olivier Doleuze) and Global Win (Douglas Whyte), you were not alone.
The 12-horse affair on the all-weather track may have looked a dry piece of humdrum fare to an outsider but to the horsemen involved in the finish, it set their senses alight.
The race featured a three-way photo result between the three top jockeys in town and it was an event of rotating fortunes as first Whyte looked like winning, only to be claimed by Doleuze but with Prebble enforcing the last say on them with 22-1 shot Wadadelight and registering his eighth win for trainer Gary Ng Ting-keung.
Prebble, who rode three winners on the programme, was captivated by the moment. 'For me, it was clearly the highlight of the day.
'At some stage, all three of us - me, Douggie and Olivier - looked a chance in a sensational finish. You would travel the world to find a finish like that between three great jockeys and for me, there was an extra buzz, because I came out the winner.'
Doleuze was still pumped about the race when he walked home two hours later and even the fact he'd been defeated did not detract from the thrill of participation.
'The competition between the three of us in that race was great,' Doleuze said. 'Douglas made his move and looked like he might win it, then I took my horse out wide and I am very happy, I think I am going to beat him.
'Then suddenly, on my left side, Brett swoops late and beats me right on the line. Aaaahhhh, I screamed, but I am still happy because this was great, great racing. And there will be another day.'
Between them this season, the Aussie, the Frenchman and the South African have won 163 races - a giant chunk of the Hong Kong pie - and once again they carved up yesterday's programme with seven wins between them.
After his winning treble, Whyte leads the title race on 59, from Prebble (three wins to 54) and Doleuze, whose lone win on First Knight in race four brought up his half century for the season.
First Knight ($189.50) was balanced by Doleuze, back behind midfield on the rails, tracked nicely into the race and hit the line willingly when his rider called for full bore.
First Knight, a 77-start veteran, is prepared by Sean Woods, who has previously complimented the seven-year-old as a 'wonderful, consistent horse who basically trains himself'.
Doleuze added: 'Sean told me to give him a chance early with cover but once he sees daylight in the straight, to give him everything I've got and push him though, so I'm happy for Sean that it worked out exactly as he had hoped.'
