Mosse sparkles with classy Sha Tin treble

MASTERFUL riding displays from French ace Gerald Mosse brought him a sparkling Sha Tin treble yesterday and left him breathing down the neck of faltering leader Tony Cruz in the jockeys' championship.

The Arc-winning rider was successful on Noble Dancer (9-5 favourite) in the second event, King Chariot (5-2 favourite) topweight in Race Six and exciting stayer Swept Away (6-1) in the last.

Noble Dancer and Swept Away were prepared by retaining trainer Patrick Biancone while first-season trainer Wyllie Wong Wai-lit saddled up King Chariot for his third career success.

The treble put Mosse on 18 winners for the interrupted season, just three behind Cruz who was winless.

And the French rider came within a controversial head of a four-timer when odds-on favourite King Prawn (8-5) was beaten in the opening race.

Mosse was called before the stewards and asked about his riding in the early stages. He explained that he was covering up the horse - which invariably runs too freely - and wished to leave his run until late.

He was thwarted by the Derek Cruz-trained Monkey Saint (10-1).

But if the day started off on a slightly sour note it very quickly got better with Noble Dancer taking the Class Two 1,600-metre race.

It was a gem of a ride from Mosse and due praise came from Biancone who said: ''The horse is not an easy ride. He must be covered up and we were drawn on the outside. So the instructions were to jump, sit and come inside and Gerald did it all perfectly.'' Mosse was poised on the rails at the top of the straight and nervelessly bided his time. The run came late, but Noble Dancer was through very quickly and got the measure of topweight Classic Warrior (5-1).

Timah (6-1) threatened to make it interesting for a stride or two but could not find the extra required and finished a game third.

King Chariot was the logical choice in the sixth event as he has shown some form and was a Class Four sprinter entitled to start in lower company.

And this time it was a punishing, demanding Mosse in action as he forced King Chariot right out to snatch victory on the line from Double Delight (25-1), who was given every chance by local rider K. H. Hung.

King Chariot was drawn on the outside (14) but travelled well enough in the run although he is not likely to go much further than this.

Needing more ground is the Wong Tang-ping galloper Star Of Marble (5-1) who flashed home when it was all over.

Despite the frantic urgings of Basil Marcus, Star Of Marble simply could not go the pace early in the Class Five, 1,000-metre dash.

But in the final 150 metres he really picked it up and does look ready to win over 1,200 metres or even longer.

The third leg of Mosse's treble was Swept Away who gave a grand galloping exhibition to win the final event on the card.

This 2,000-metre race looked fairly open with Wonderful World sent off the 5-2 favourite although there was substantial support for Fortune Leader (4-1) and topweight Victory And Glory (5-1).

Mosse was able to settle Swept Away and he brought him coolly into the race as the field swung for home with Wonderful World looking dangerous.

John Marshall got the gutsy grey to the front and saw off the immediate threats but Swept Away steamed home for a length and a quarter win.

Wonderful World plugged on gamely for second with Fortune Leader a moderate third.