Punters were in no mood to look a gift horse in the mouth on a lacklustre card at Happy Valley last night, with Gift Is Gift the only favourite to score in the final race after being smashed down in the betting.
Gift Is Gift (Olivier Doleuze) trimmed down sharply from 4.7 in the early stages of betting to start 2.6 favourite and gave his backers not even a moment's worry, box-seated before running away for a two-length success at his second run since transferring from Almond Lee to Richard Gibson.
'He had a bit too much to do from the wide gate at Sha Tin when he ran second the first time out for me, but I wasn't surprised to see him win like that from a soft draw,' said Gibson, who took himself to 34 wins for his freshman year. 'Gift Is Gift has been a thorough professional since he arrived, had no problems and he's a nice physical specimen. I think he can win again this season.'
Gift Is Gift was probably the only real takeaway for the future from a night when training honours went to Caspar Fownes, winning a sixth race at the Valley with Victory Mascot in the 2,200m Class Four and following up half an hour later with Dream Builder (Mark du Plessis) breaking his duck. 'I've tried him at the mile the last two and got too keen but he wasn't beaten far. He's a late maturer, the mile is going to suit next season when he has settled into this environment better,' said Fownes. 'Still, those runs toughened him up, so coming back to 1,200m tonight I was happy for Mark to lead and make them try to run him down.
'Victory Mascot, well, what can you say? He's won eight races now, four of these 2,200m races here and he's done a great job for a horse who will never be a star but pays his bills.'
Toughness and consistency seemed to be the by words for the night, with trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong taking the night's Class Three feature with Jimson The Best (Tye Angland), a horse who was once maligned as a non-winner.
