Headline-hogging former Hong Kong Jockey Rambo Tse Wai-ho yesterday opened his Macau account with a brilliant treble on Governor's Cup day in the Portuguese-administered enclave. Rambo produced copybook displays on the fancied My Pet in the first and outsider Beng Seng Star in the last as well as scoring on Herecomes Charlie in the penultimate event. Connections of My Pet backed him as if there were no settling, forcing him to close as the 2.9-1 favourite in a seemingly competitive 14-runner Class Six contest. But there was never an anxious moment in the run as Rambo was coolness personified. He had the P. K. Wong-trained five-year-old perfectly positioned just behind the speed on the rain sodden track on which there was a profound bias to those near the pace. When Rambo said go it was all over as My Pet eased clear for a comfortable win for his new trainer. In the last two events, Rambo never gave the rest a chance as he scored a decisive win on the mud-loving Beng Seng Star for K. K. Sin and Herecomes Charlie for Gordon Benson. 'That's my first treble and it sure feels good. It's been a long time since my last success in Hong Kong. 'I want to thank the Macau Jockey Club for giving me this opportunity to keep riding,' smiled a delighted Rambo, always a popular figure with his peers and the public alike during his days in Hong Kong but, unfortunately, also in and out of trouble. The personality rider first hit the headlines some five years ago in a scam which will surely enter racing folklore as he became embroiled in a 'sex for tips scandal' with some bent coppers. Rambo supplied the tips and the police provided him with prostitutes, some of them paged from their classrooms. Rambo eventually turned Queen's evidence and helped in the prosecution of the police but he also received a three-month ban from the Hong Kong Jockey Club for breaking the Rules of Racing regarding privileged information. Then last season he was banned for nine months after the race-meeting stewards, and later the appeals panel, found he had stopped Millions Joy in a local riders' affair at Happy Valley. The decision looked harsh as Rambo's offence seemed to be rolling out on the top bend and letting one up his inside and thus more a case of not taking all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing rather than a stopping charge. But the stopping charge stuck and Rambo's Hong Kong career was over. He had to lobby hard to get a licence in Macau and, having finished second on My Pet on his first ride back two weekends ago, he has now opened his account in no uncertain terms. Another hugely popular figure in Hong Kong, star jockey Brent Thomson, was also on the score sheet when he cruised home in the second on the Louis Ho-trained griffin, Superjet. It was Thomson's second winner in two meetings and he said: 'I've been most impressed with what I've seen so far. 'Macau racing has made giant strides since I was in Hong Kong a few years ago and I'd like to think I can keep picking up good rides and banging home the winners.' The win of the day came from the 'Hollywood' George Williams-trained Splendid Dragon who defied 141 pounds when making all in the Governor's Cup. The quality win underlined Splendid Dragon's claims to have superseded Winning Touch as the best horse in training in Macau. The win also initiated a double for champion jockey John Didham.
