APPRENTICES past and present showed the international racing community the wealth of talent among Hong Kong's home-grown riding ranks at last night's Happy Valley prelude to Sunday's showpiece Sha Tin fixture.
Star of the show was the female claimer Win L. F. Chung who brought home the 52-1 bolter Eighteen Twelve in exemplary fashion in the feature Hong Kong Football Club Centenary Cup for her English mentor David Oughton.
When the rail is out for the Happy Valley sprints it is imperative to be up on the speed.
Chung had Eighteen Twelve smartly out of barrier nine in this 1,200-metre feature event and then showed experienced beyond her years to sit quietly on the heels of leader Sun-Rise, waiting until halfway up the home straight before asking her mount for a race-winning effort.
The result was a half-length defeat of Sun-Rise, leading to a rousing reception as she returned to the winner's enclosure and a glowing tribute from her trainer for her fourth career success.
Oughton enthused: 'I couldn't have asked for a better ride from a senior jockey. Win was brilliant. She did everything absolutely perfectly.
