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SCMP Reporter

MICK Kinane underlined his intentions to go right to the wire in his Hongkong stay with a 98-1 double at Happy Valley yesterday afternoon.

 The crack Irish rider, widely held to be Europe's top jockey, scored victories on the improving Thor Win for retaining trainer David Oughton in the fourth and on the admirable House Honour for Gary Ng Ting-keung in the fifth.

 The double took Kinane to 22 winners for his season, which has two meetings left to run before his return to Ireland to ride for Dermot Weld after Sunday's International Cup and Bowl events.

 Kinane said: ''I'd like to think I could boot home a few more before I go as we're now starting to pick up again after being badly hit by the virus.

 ''It knocked our stable as much, if not more, than any other.

 ''But more than anything, my first season riding for David seems to have gone so quickly.

 ''It only seems like yesterday that I arrived.''  Kinane then added with a smile: ''I've really enjoyed it. David is a great guy to ride for and I will enjoy it a lot more if I can just pop a few more past the post with their heads in front - not least Diamonds Galore in the International Bowl on Sunday.''  Kinane's success on Thor Win could well be a portent of things to come for the five-year-old who is now starting to really come good.

  He was well regarded during his griffin year and was not over-taxed to hold the late burst of Lucky Treasure in yesterday's fourth event.

 Good Dividend did not have much luck in this contest while the well backed Va Vite was a huge disappointment, dropping out from before the Rock to finish last.

 Kinane's double came up on House Honour in the day's feature event, the Sassoon Challenge Cup. The Australian import has now won six times in Hongkong and is a real credit to his trainer.

 There was substantial support for Ivan Allan's Just Delight in House Honour's race due to his eye-catching display behind Make It Happen over 1,235 metres here last time.

 He could only plug on at one pace for fourth. But keep faith with him. His turn should come in the not too distant future.

 Allan, away scouting for talent at the Sydney sales which start today, gained swift compensation for Just Delight's defeat when Kevpal took the sixth under a good ride from Robert Thompson.

 They came late and last to catch Auto Focus, who benefited from the re-application of blinkers, and the veteran sprinter Mehboob II.

 There was a wholesale gamble on Gary Ng's Tomodachi in this contest.

 His form going into the race was pretty dismal but he had picked up noticeably in his work and was ridden by Tony Cruz - hence his starting price of 4-1 favourite.

 He eventually rallied to finish fifth of the 10 runners behind Kevpal, so there is a glimmer of hope for the future - especially if he is sent over farther.

 Cruz struck back at the top of the table to keep Basil Marcus firmly at bay.

 Cruz scored for the second time from just two rides on the Geoff Lane-trained Vital Point in yesterday's seventh event.

 Vital Point was never really travelling in the race won by Thunder And Gold over 1,800 metres at Sha Tin last time.

 Yesterday he was back to his fluent self, travelling well under Cruz as Thunder And Gold, who goes sweetly for claimer Jimmy Ting, was in his customary position, bowling along at the head of affairs.

 Turning for home Cruz made a brilliant riding manoeuvre look ridiculously simple as he eased Vital Point off the rails to challenge down the centre of the track.

 It was a repeat performance of the tactics he adopted when scoring on Vital Point last time out.

 And they clearly suit the five-year-old who galloped relentlessly to the line to catch Quest For Gold and foil Kinane's bid for a treble.



Slick Mick heads for Ireland at the double