GERMAN Peter Schiergen left Sha Tin last night with a smile as wide as the Rhine after cruising to his first Hong Kong victory on Alex Wong Yu-on's highly promising griffin All The Glory in the opening event.
Schiergen, Europe's most prolific jockey after a season which saw him surpass the legendary Sir Gordon Richards' tally of 269 for a single campaign, won eased down by 31/2 lengths from the odds-on favourite We Know When with Port Hope a further 23/4 lengths back in third.
Schiergen, here for a month, could not have timed his winner any better.
'It is a proud day for me,' he said. 'I am so happy to ride this winner and to do it in front of so many visitors from Germany.' Racing is growing in popularity all the time in Germany.
Not only is the likable Schiergen helping to give it more and more column inches in the sporting press with his exploits but horses such as Lando are flying the flag all round the globe, running top races in the Arc De Triomphe and then winning the Japan Cup.
'I've had a lot of support from all the trainers since I came here and today I thought this horse was a very exciting ride for me,' Schiergen said.
'He had been very well prepared and has a very good attitude.' Trainer Alex Wong Yu-on habitually finds an exciting private purchase griffin.
