TRAINER David Hill's patience with young horses is well known and invariably pays off - as is the case with Mustang, who looks to have the featured Royal Hongkong Golf Club Centenary Cup at his mercy at Happy Valley tonight. Mustang was raced sparingly as a griffin, given plenty of time to come to himself this season and has responded with a last-start win that was as fluent and decisive as you are likely to get. The handicapper has bumped up the youngster to 140 pounds but that is unlikely to stop him in this company and Hill certainly has hopes of snaring the silverware. It would be fitting as he is no stranger to the golf course - one of his other loves outside racing. He said: ''I don't think there is any great secret to my training methods or any success I may have. ''I have always believed it is counter-productive to rush young horses along, even if some of them are precocious. You can say that 99 per cent of them are better given more time to get used to it all. ''I could sometimes buy a private purchase who has maybe only raced a couple of times and I might not start him in the season in which he arrives. It's not as if we are up against a stopwatch or a deadline. ''And I think most owners can be kept happy knowing that their horses are being looked after and that, in time, they stand an excellent chance of recovering their investment,'' he said. Mustang is clearly a handy type and Hill commented: ''Yes, I don't think we have quite got to the bottom of him yet. His race behind Aashiq was very good and then he came out and did what he had to do and win. ''I was pleased with the win and the foundations are there. Obviously he has already shown what he can do and the only worry has to be the weight. ''I don't think using an apprentice would have been the answer here. He should carry the weight and he goes really well for Basil who has been a big help with the horse,'' added Hill. The trip of 1,800 metres for the Class Three trophy event certainly won't be a problem, except in relation to the weight burden but Mustang has such an obvious edge in this field that he must be taken to succeed again. Weight was clearly a decisive factor in the defeat of Hankow Star last week at the same venue when he was bumped on the first bend and never really got into after that. He is a strapping type of individual but it doesn't always follow that they will carry it and trainer Bruce Hutchison has elected to take a voluntary promotion and step the horse up to 1,800 metres. The trip should not prove a problem given the way the horse came storming home to win at Sha Tin over a mile and then rattled home over the longer sprint at Happy Valley at his start previous to last week's failure. Irish champion Mick Kinane has come in for the ride and, with his much better galloping weight, Hankow Star is well worth considering for a quinella and tierce bet. Derek Cruz starts two in the Cup race, troubled Jarnac and improving Great Time, the latter to be ridden by Declan Murphy. Jarnac clearly has ability but is also unsound which has made him a real problem for the young trainer who has spent many hours patiently working with him. He has engaged Darren Beadman for the ride and, on ability, Jarnac could do something here. But it is difficult to prepare him fully for a race with the obvious result that he cannot be guaranteed to produce it all in the event itself. Great Time loomed up on the corner at his last start before fading slightly for an apprentice and could be worth consideration here with Murphy aboard. The trip is ideal for the grey and in a field where not much stands out, the topweight apart, he could be there. Overtaker is almost a specialist at the Valley and does well over this trip. His form has been a little patchy but he has drawn very well and Brent Thomson would be mustard keen for a winner. Good Day will also have improved on his last start where he did not get a blow in and Sandal Emperor is another who has solid Valley form.
