In one bound, champion trainer Ivan Allan yesterday moved into third place on the ladder with a sparkling treble at Sha Tin that was highlighted by the excellent win of rising star Holy Grail. No one writes off Allan but by his own high standards it had been a relatively quiet season to date for the Singaporean maestro - although he did come within an agonising short head of lifting the biggest race in the SAR, the International Cup, with Oriental Express last month. But it was very much domestic business as usual at the second meeting of the New Year when Pasha (9-1), Holy Grail (5-2) and Regal Ridge (6-1) all obliged. The treble took his tally for the campaign to 17 which leaves him 12 behind runaway leader, David Hayes. But Allan has long discounted winning this year's championship and said yesterday: 'I am not in the race for it at all. This was a good day for the stable.' Most comment was centred round unbeaten Holy Grail who scored a highly impressive third straight win when running away with the seventh event on the card. Holy Grail gave champion jockey Basil Marcus his only winner for the day and he has rarely had an easier one. Perfectly drawn in barrier two, Marcus bounced Holy Grail out but quickly took the sit behind the predictable pacesetter, bottomweight Gold Yue Yee (25-1), whohad Eastern Fortune (50-1) on his outside. Holy Grail was tracked by the apparent danger Chiu Chow Boy (3-1) but his challenge quickly fizzled out when the South African took up the running soon after straightening in the Classes One and Two, 1,400-metre event. Holy Grail went to the line in the manner of a good horse but plenty more will be heard about runner-up King Red Wine (20-1), who had a most pleasing introduction to local racing. Enigmatic topweight Super Fit (7-1) battled on to the line fairly under Douglas Whyte to take third spot. Allan advised against going overboard about the winner. 'It wasn't a great race but he did it pretty well. I am not going to rush this fellow because he is a New Zealand three-year-old. I don't think it would be sensible to get too carried away with him just yet,' he said. The handicapper may have other ideas and Holy Grail's next outing will undoubtedly be in Class One. Pasha, which had looked in better shape than at any time this season, gave Paddy Payne a handy win in the featured Tung Wah Centenary Cup over 1,400 metres, the sixth event on the card. Pasha is seen at his very best when coming from right back in the field and the good pace in the Classes One and Two event almost dictated that Payne would make his presence felt. And he did, unleashing the winner when they were well into the straight. As Happy Boy (5-2 favourite) and Roaring Star (7-1) found nothing, Pasha sailed past to win going away by three-quarters of a length to Trobis (6-1). Payne said: 'The horse was spot on for the race and that's what mattered most. I suppose there might have been a bit of a worry about the shorter straight but he was really rolling for me and I was pretty certain we would be right there at the finish. 'That's the way it worked out. It was a matter of just biding my time before really getting him wound up and going for it. He responded really well.' South African Robbie Fradd, who has had a great debut season in Hong Kong, got into the Allan act in the final scene through ever-reliable Regal Ridge. There was drama at the start of the 1,400-metre event when the smart Irish import Floral Regent (8-1) came out after playing up badly in the stalls. With excellent credentials, Floral Regent was a strong tip in certain quarters but how much easier Regal Ridge's task was made by his abrupt departure can only be a matter of conjecture.