Brett Doyle had endured 118 winless rides before capturing the opening event last night at Happy Valley, but only had to wait 30 minutes to get his next victory, as he nabbed a race-to-race double and then confirmed he would depart the Hong Kong riding ranks at the start of next month.
Doyle, who hadn't ridden a winner since September, now has five winners for the term but will not re-apply for his licence to ride in Hong Kong when his current contract ends.
Just like veteran Jeff Lloyd, who has hit a purple patch of form as his likely departure from Hong Kong approaches, Doyle seemed to be riding with renewed vigour and confidence last night.
'It was just nice to win a race,' said Doyle, who is set take up a riding contract in Dubai during the World Cup carnival, where he will aim for a second straight Al Quoz Sprint (1,000m), upgraded to a Group One this year, with the Derek Cruz-trained Joy And Fun.
'It was my wife Yvonne's birthday so it was great to have some success on a special day.'
He won race one on Andy Leung Ting-wah's Shanghai Pioneer and the next on the Tony Millard-trained Lucky Record, both with well-timed, come-from-behind rides. The 39-year-old was dubbed 'Double Doyle' during his early days of riding in Hong Kong, but hadn't saluted twice on a programme since January 16 last year.