bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

LOCAL riding hero Tony Cruz struck back at the top of the jockey standings with a double at Sha Tin yesterday.

 He scored on gelding, Namjong, in the 1,400-metre fourth and Wylie Wong's Right Choice in the sixth.

 They only paid 5-1 combined odds but that will matter little to the former multiple champion who is just hungry for winners.

 The double lifted him to the 25-mark for the season, just one behind Gerald Mosse who had to endure four seconds yesterday.

 ''A good day's work,'' came Cruz's assessment after racing. ''Peter and I have a good understanding and he has his horses in tremendous form.

 ''I was impressed with the way Namjong won the last time I rode him but I was a bit worried about the 140 pounds today.

 ''In the end he did it really bravely. I thought we were going to be hard pressed to hold Forever Ahead when he came on my outside but Namjong really fought on bravely.

 ''His fighting spirit won him the race.''  Peter Ng has now sent out 19 winners and is already four clear of his previous best total for a season - and he still has 39 meetings to go.

 Ng has always considered that Namjong ridden correctly can make up into a miler, despite the fact that he is blessed with such natural speed.

 ''He will settle and run home from behind if he is ridden that way,'' explained Ng. ''When Mawing Wei-chong rode him over a mile he made too much use of him. That is the only reason the horse appeared not to stay.''  Cruz's natural brilliance shone through on Right Choice later in the afternoon.

 Right Choice had run across the track when ridden by W. H. ''Rambo'' Tse on his last start and had looked a decidedly reluctant conveyance on a couple of other occasions, too.

 But yesterday he kept as straight as a gun barrel under Cruz's riding to hold Superior Dragon, also ridden by Mosse, by a head.

 ''It's all in the hands,'' said one expert in the stands. ''What a difference Cruz makes.''  There was also a double for classy Club jockey John Marshall and trainer Chris Cheung Ting-pong who was saddling his first two-timer.

 Marshall and Cheung opened their accounts for the day on 66-1 rank outsider Dong Win in the race where David Hill's newcomer, Dazzling Union, was backed down to 9-5 favouritism to make a winning debut.

 Dazzling Union's inexperience cost him dearly round the bottom bend. By the time Basil Marcus had him running in the straight it was too late. He stayed on for fourth but Dong Win had already flown, catching the irresolute Super Bull in the last 100 metres.

 Marshall and Cheung completed their double when Saboatan, who had promised much in the past but failed to deliver, looked much improved in taking the feature Ewo Challenge Trophy.

 Saboatan scored from Bruce Hutchison's fast-finishing Apache whose turn will come now that he is racing up in distance.



Magic hands help Cruz to close the gap