Whyte ends up even after see-saw battle

Champion jockey Douglas Whyte might perhaps have hoped for more from a day that promised plenty on paper, but a double was his reward and a final-race fourth enough to get his Jockey Challenge supporters half a win.

The Durban Demon was set up for a big afternoon when he won the opening griffin event on London China Town for Manfred Man Ka-leung, then took the third on Tremendous Add for Michael Chang Chun-wai, but that was where the good news began and ended.

Whyte gave You Gotta Pay every chance in the seventh, but he again found one too good at long odds-on, and a wide barrier saw final-race favourite Always Something scrambling into fourth placing to see the South African dead-heat with Darren Beadman.

London China Town became the first of the War Chant stock to win here when he was too strong for the $12 favourite Cheetah Boy in the first after putting the writing on the wall with two excellent trial efforts.

'I've done most of the work with him and London China Town has given every indication right from the start that he's a pretty nice horse,' Whyte said. 'He does everything right, he has speed and a terrific attitude and I think he has a nice future.'

Whyte has also played a strong role in getting Tremendous Add to the winning post, Chang's 13th winner for the season.

'He can be a bit hot-headed and he did sweat up today and was green in the race so you have to expect more improvement and it was only his third run,' Whyte said. 'I think he'll enjoy even a little bit further than today's 1,400m.'

The day enabled Whyte to claw back one win on Brett Prebble in the jockeys' table, where he has left Matthew Chadwick behind, with Prebble responding to the double with a win on Dynamic Blitz late in the day.