Super Talent had shown good abilities in different sections of his first four races and put it all together in a convincing win on New Year's Day but there were others in the race who might be just as profitable to put in the black book.
In what might turn out to be a strong form reference, Benno Yung Tin-pang's Super Talent looked a Class Two horse in the making, putting a strong finishing section in for Douglas Whyte to get past a good benchmark in Addole and the favourite never really looked in much danger.
The runner-up has a winning turn coming shortly too but the attention grabbers were the new horse, Ten Flames, and a slightly used one, Winner St Paul's.
Ten Flames looked a smart galloper when he trialled in New Zealand twice before his importation, but probably was not quite as good in three attempts at the practice races in Hong Kong. That looked a combination of connections wishing to hide his ability and possibly a slow acclimatisation, as he was a muck lather of sweat in at least one of those barrier trials, but Ten Flames really looked the part on Thursday pre-race and ran right up to it in finishing third.
He is by the now-deceased O'Reilly, a stallion whose progeny thrive in Hong Kong, and although there's a long way to go to emulate stablemate Flame Hero, he looks a similar style of on-pace horse who will be better over a little further than 1,200m as he goes on.
Two finishing positions further back, Winner St Paul's turned in a strong finishing sectional after going back to the rear of the field from his wide draw.
A warm favourite at Happy Valley on debut, he was a notable failure there ridden for speed at the unfamiliar track and under lights for the first time, when he seemed to lose his way and his action on the home bend and finally had to be eased out of the race.
Balanced up this time at the rear, Winner St Paul's was able to get into his rhythm and prove far more effective running on and he should get an opportunity to break his maiden status soon.
