Cruz creeps up on leader with superb double
Trainer takes second spot in the table behind Dennis Yip but plays down his title chances
Even though it seems Tony Cruz is in with a big shot at a third trainers' title, to go with the six he won as a jockey, he was playing down his chances last night at Happy Valley and talking up what he called a "cool ride" by apprentice Alvin Ng Ka-chun on Multivictory.
A Cruz double added some more interest to the trainers' championship, as wins to Multivictory and Let's Goal saw him leap-frog John Size into second place and move within two wins of leader Dennis Yip Chor-hong with 14 meetings remaining in the season.
"I'll be doing my best in the trainers' championship," Cruz said. "But I was really happy with Alvin's ride."
Cruz may not have been happy 100m after the start, after Multivictory, an on-pace runner drawn three in a 1,200m Class Three contest, ended up back in the midfield ruck.
"He was just slow away," Ng said. "He didn't jump with them and I think the fact that it was his first time here had something to do with it, he is still very green and was a bit nervous."
Cruz added: "I was surprised to see him that far back. But being a jockey myself, I tell my jockeys, and I told Alvin to ride him according to the horse and to go with the flow, and wherever he found himself to stay cool, because the race doesn't start until the turn."
Cruz wasn't as complementary of his other success, saying Class Four winner Let's Goal (Gerald Mosse) "isn't much good" but had "appreciated some cut out of the ground and got lucky with a nice draw and run".