Angland hits the ground running
Victory for Tye Angland in his first race at Sha Tin has given the new arrival a significant boost as he aims to make a success of his four-month riding contract in Hong Kong.
The young Australian was full of thanks to trainer Derek Cruz, who gave him the opportunity on the aptly named Global Win after the pair met at the Royal Ascot Carnival in England earlier this year. 'I first noticed Tye in England when we took Joy And Fun for the Golden Jubilee and Tye was there riding a horse called Alverta,' Cruz said.
'He has a nice style and good hands and, with a lot of jockeys out on suspension at the moment, I was willing to give him a chance. He rode all four of my horses very well and I'll continue to use him wherever I can, it was great to see him ride a winner on his first day.
'Global Win was well rated and he doesn't win often, so it was great to get another win from him.'
Angland joined a decent list of Australian imports, who won first-up at Sha Tin yesterday, with horses Turf Express and Packing Ok also flying the Aussie flag.
To top off the series of firsts, Angland's win also coincided with his first race-ride on the dirt.
'We have a few artificial surfaces in Australia, but this was my first race on the dirt,' Angland said. 'I had a little peak at the 200 metres and we were pretty well clear, it was a great feeling to come out with a win so early.
'All thanks to Derek for giving me a chance, and hopefully I can keep winning for him.'
In a successful, if wet afternoon, Angland also placed second to Mr Celerity in the Chamber Of Commerce Cup on Flying Colours for Cruz, and the jockey is keen to maintain the ride.
'We just had to do a little too much work early, and while we copped a couple of bumps close to the line, that early effort was the only thing that stopped him from winning today,' Angland said. 'He feels like a nice horse and I'd like to have another crack on him for sure.'
