Trainer Peter Ng Bik-kuen ended a frustrting run of defeats with handy three-year- old Spicy Shrimp, but the prospects of Ng rescuing his season look impossible. Ng is heading for another season of failing to reach the Jockey Club's performance benchmarks, likely placing him on notice that one more term of under-performance will see him asked to 'show cause' on his licensing. Ng, whose past record includes winning some of the biggest races, has battled with a smaller team in recent seasons. Yesterday, he produced the first-race runner-up Real Supreme, then race two winner Spicy Shrimp (Vincent Ho Chak-yiu), the latter taking him to nine wins - still four short of the criteria. Spicy Shrimp had been well supported at his past three runs since and had excuses each time, the latest when badly checked at Happy Valley, but got clear running to break his maiden yesterday.