Yet another tricky affair at Happy Valley on Wednesday night with the rain about but debutant winner Fairy Twins looked one for the black book after he surprised everyone with his first-up win.

Chris So Wai-yin-trained Fairy Twins had trialled like a horse with ability in Australia and even here in Hong Kong, although not fully tested.

However, he didn’t look screwed down ready to win at his first run and that must have been the mail from the stable too judging by his 28-1 starting odds.

The negative to his victory is the race looked a sub-par contest on face value but the flipside is that for him to have won apparently unfancied gives every indication Fairy Twins can do better with more racing under the belt.

A full brother, Flying Frisbee was retired earlier this season without a race but the other three sons of Fairy Twins’ “under the radar” sire Oamaru Force to run in Hong Kong have now all won races. Classy sprinter Good Words won five for Tony Cruz and made it all the way to Class One, while Blossom Daily won three races for Caspar Fownes lower down the order.

It was a night when many decided that in front was the only place to be and horses pressing forward early were made to work too hard for most of the programme, so it might pay to follow fewer of the eye-catchers running on and more of the ones weakening in their races.

Bearing that in mind, Victor Emperor made a good fist of his first crack at 1,650m when he was part of the pace early but still held on for fourth.

There was good money late to suggest he could be in the finish stepping up from sprint distances but, with the race decided between horses sitting out the back in the fast-run early stages, he probably gets a pass mark for his fourth.

He beat home all the other on speed runners and has another win left in him this term as the Dennis Yip Chor-hong team seems to be shaping for a strong finish to the season.