Doleuze praises diligent trainers

Olivier Doleuze downplayed his role in both of his wins - placing credit with the horse's patient owners and diligent trainers.

Doleuze moved into the top five of the jockeys' standings on 10 wins after saluting on two first-up runners who he said had benefitted greatly from time away from the track.

First the Frenchman caused an upset in a Class Four Handicap (1,600m) on Michael Chang Chun-wai's Buddy Buddies - a lightly raced son of Street Cry who hadn't competed since April.

'We always liked the horse, but he was very green,' Doleuze said. 'He only had three starts last season. First one he was green and he didn't know what he was doing. The second one was good, but the third was disappointing and Michael spoke to the owner and decided to put the horse away.

'Not too many owners are able to wait and be patient. The fact he won was a big payment for the owners. The time away helped him because he was able to grow and we could space his work and not rush.'

Chang said the light-framed galloper just couldn't keep condition, which prompted the break.

'He was very light last season,' he said. 'After his last run he lost a lot of weight so I gave him a two-month spell. He is such a light horse, that if I give him two gallops in the week he loses 20 pounds.'

Doleuze's other winner, Winning Edge, came to Richard Gibson with one win from 16 starts and he has battled a number of setbacks since the Englishman took delivery of the six-year-old.

Gibson, who now has five wins in his first Hong Kong season, labelled the victory 'extremely satisfying'. 'He's been an interesting case with a few issues,' he said. 'But he has always shown a lot of ability. It was good that the owner has been patient and allowed him some time.'

'It was a real team effort to get him to the races. Greg Cheyne has done a lot of good work with him in the mornings and getting him to settle much better, so he can take some credit for this.'

Doleuze rode the gelding in his final start of last season and felt a win would come soon.

'He is very similar to Buddy Buddies in that he is not a horse that needs a lot of work,' he said. 'It is more a question of having him relaxed and quiet than really fit, because his ability is not in question. Last year he was very nervous, but this season he is really relaxed. Sometimes little things, like a change in environment, make a horse feel better.'