Double boosts Hayes' chances

DAVID Hayes kept the battle for the trainers' championship going with a strongly supported double at Sha Tin yesterday that saw Prince Fortune (6-4 favourite) earn a niche in local racing lore.

South African ace Piere Strydom, who came close to becoming the Australian trainer's stable jockey next season before the shock move of Basil Marcus, produced two copybook rides on the Hayes horses and moved to the 30-winner mark for the season.

Australian-bred Prince Fortune was winning his third race in the 12 weeks he has been in Hong Kong and took his short career earnings to just over $1 million.

Regular partner Strydom conjured up the third success down the straight 1,000 metres but the three-year-old looked beaten until he rallied strongly to see off Raymondo (9-1) with second favourite Born To Win (2-1) a head further back in third place in the Class Two dash.

'I think it must be some sort of a record because he's only been here for three months and now won three races. I have kept him to the straight course and he has done well,' said Hayes.

'I will have to send him round corners soon and it might just be a bit of a problem. I think in time he will need blinkers but I'm not putting them on him yet because there's no sense messing around with winning form.' Prince Fortune's work had been particularly good leading up to the race and Strydom said: 'He lived right up to that. Prior to his last race his work had only been so-so. He came back strongly.' Prince Fortune did run around in the closing stages and came out on Raymondo, but there was a length in it at the line and the possible interference did not affect the result.