CHAMPION jockey Tony Cruz rode a spirited double at Sha Tin yesterday to finish the nine-race meeting on level pegging with arch-rival Basil Marcus, writes Robin Parke.
The pair now have 17 winners apiece in the race to the jockey's championship.
Cruz initiated the double when odds-on favourite Win Theatre (8-5) returned to his favoured 1,000-metre trip to win handily from outsider Namjong Again (35-1).
If that win was fairly routine, Cruz had to really produce the goods on Space Rock (6-1) in the final event.
This developed into a great three-way finish and the undoubted strength of Cruz in a finish prevailed here with Space Rock just holding off Great Admiral (25-1) and On The Beat (5-1).
The official margins were two short heads.
It was a dramatic finish to the Class Three, 2,000-metre event which went off over five minutes late when Assegai broke through the stalls and was eventually caught and withdrawn.
