Jockey Douglas Whyte and trainer Tony Cruz will work out their immediate future today with the Jockey Club awaiting developments. Following a recent meeting with chief stipendiary steward Clinton P. Pitts jnr, Cruz and Whyte were expected to jointly reach an agreement on how they stood. This would have given Whyte more latitude for outside rides with Cruz being able to use next season's stable jockey, Eric Saint-Martin, on the younger horses. Cruz yesterday lodged a letter with the Jockey Club terminating the contract but this is understood to also require Whyte's agreement - and the pair are expected to work it out today. There is little chance of Whyte, who needs a top day in the saddle at Sha Tin today to sustain a challenge to Basil Marcus, finding himself on a flight to South Africa if there is an official split with Cruz. Whyte would expect to be granted a freelance licence until the end of the season - in just the same way as arch-rival Basil Marcus several years ago when he split in mid-season from trainer David Hill. Whyte celebrates his first wedding anniversary today and said: 'It would certainly be a nice anniversary present if I could ride a few. Looking at the table, I definitely need to get going again.' A midweek treble from the defending champion left Marcus seven winners clear of his compatriot who would need to claw back at least two today as the season moves quickly towards a close. There are 10 race days remaining after today's Chairman's Prize meeting where Alex Wong Siu-tan's Irish sprinter, Fastest Star, bids for a clean sweep of the Sprint Trophy having won the Happy Valley Trophy and the Centenary Cup.
