Macau lose in meeting clash
THE Macau Jockey Club (MJC) lost out last night when a Taipa meeting clashed with the midweek meeting at Happy Valley.
The MJC elected to go ahead with last night's Taipa meeting when the Royal Hongkong Jockey Club re-mapped their programme following the resumption of racing in late December.
It was the first time in the MJC's short history they had held a meeting on the same night as racing in Hongkong, and it proved costly - only $7.8 million went through the Taipa totalisator for the seven-event card. It would normally have been expected tohandle at least $11 million.
There were 4,256 on course at Taipa but they were huddled in the stands as an icy wind blew off the Pearl River.
The MJC have one more meeting scheduled which clashes with Hongkong.
Meanwhile, at Happy Valley, it was French flair to the fore as Gerald Mosse went farther ahead in the jockeys' championship and trainer Patrick Biancone moved to within one winner of defending champion John Moore.
The French pair combined with odds-on chance King Prawn in the opening event and that left Biancone on 20 winners and Mosse on 25. Moore is on 21.
Arc-winning ace Mosse is now two clear of Tony Cruz and emerging as a favourite for the title, despite problems with his weight.
The Biancone team is in superb form and the charismatic trainer said last night: ''It is getting very close and I am sure it will continue to be that way.''
