IT WAS just like old times as the cigar-smoking, Cossack-hatted Brian Kan Ping-chee celebrated New Year with a brace of winners.
It's been a while since Kan was officially champion trainer but he is still The Champ to a lot of people and his well-prepared double yesterday certainly gave credence to the accolade.
Kan produced wet trackers Medic Star (16-1) and Good Connection (5-1) to take full advantage of the prevailing conditions and post a back-to-back double early on in the lengthy Sha Tin proceedings.
Medic Star, with stable claimer Eden H. K. Cheung aboard, has always enjoyed real cut in the ground and combined with a fast pace, it made him a better bet than his starting price suggested.
As it was, the five-year-old gelding simply moved up a gear in the going and swamped the opposition, posting a length-and-a-quarter win over evens favourite Hong Kong Legend who tried desperately to get on terms in the Class Two longer sprint.
Winning Horse (9-1) ran a stout race to finish third with Kay Hsing (6-1) disappointing in finishing sixth.
Kan, puffing contentedly, said: 'When I saw how heavy the rain had been and that it was continuing, I knew immediately that there was a very good chance of a double.
