Early bird Yip takes Valley by storm
Trainer Dennis Yip Chap-shing dominated the early part of the card claiming three of the first four races with Think Big, Caga Spirit and Ottimo.
Yip combined twice with Howard Cheng Yue-tin, who also secured a treble of his own, but thanked his other winning rider Weichong Marwing for his efforts with his opening winner Think Big.
'I thought that Think Big would go better for Marwing, he's a strong rider,' Yip said. 'The horse is still a baby and can improve, so I think he will be able to win again at some stage.'
Marwing positioned Think Big perfectly in behind the speed, before pulling him clear of the leaders in the straight to score a comfortable win over Treasurable and Extra Special in the Ninepin Group Handicap (1,000m). While Yip was thanking the winning hoop, stewards were not singing the praises of apprentice Kevin Leung Ka-wai's effort on Asali Victory in the same race, and suspended the 10-pound claimer for two-race days on a charge of careless riding at the 800m mark.
'Think Big hasn't been running bad races and I said to Dennis that he's not going that bad, and that there's a lot worse horses going round here,' Marwing said.
'He's still strengthening up, I think 1,200 metres and 1,400 metres will be his best distance, but he was in Class Five today and was able to get away with it over the shorter trip.
'Back up to Class Four he will need things to go his way, but he will also be better over the slightly longer trip.'
Caga Spirit made it two from two for the trainer in the second event and brought up a win for the famous actor and director Eric Tsang Chi-wai.
'This horse has had serious leg problems but Dennis is a very patient trainer, so the credit must go to him and jockey Howard Cheng, who I think has ridden this horse 20-25 times in morning trackwork,' Tsang said.
'Howard has done a lot of work to get this win, and he deserves it for all his effort.' Yip said that Caga Spirit was almost retired, but he wanted to persevere with the troubled galloper before giving up on him completely.
'He has had so many problems with his legs, the vet was suggesting that we retire him,' Yip said. 'But the owners trust me and I have been patient with him, so today was a very good result for this horse and for Eric.'
Ottimo is also only lightly raced and Yip is confident of further improvement from his treble-completing galloper.
'He was scratched with mucus issues a couple of times earlier this season, but it wasn't a big problem, and he's turning into quite a nice horse,' Yip said. 'He hasn't established a racing pattern yet, as he's still an immature young horse.'
