Racing people are superstitious so it was no big surprise when apprentice Patrick Tse decided to change his name for luck. And 10 days after becoming Tse Chung-hon from Tse Pak-hing, he scored the biggest success of his short career when 72-1 rank outsider and bottomweight Lord Of Warriors took the featured Happy Valley Trophy at the city track last night. Trainer Tony Cruz could afford a huge smile as Lord Of Warriors was brought back to scale after a thrilling win in the Class One longer sprint. Halfway down the home straight, Lord Of Warriors was no real sort of chance but sprouted wings in the final 150 metres to storm through the centre for a gripping head victory over Solid Contact (25-1), trained by Derek Cruz and ridden by Glen Boss, who knows all about finishing in the runner-up slot these days. Front-running The King Of Cloyne (10-1) finished third having looked like making all but Toy Warrior (7-2 favourite) did little. Said Cruz: 'He has always been a good horse but this was a very tough race. He certainly must go well fresh.' It was the four-year-old's first start of the season. The biggest South African star at the meeting was a three-year-old private purchase gelding called Asia Rising, who scored a quite superb debut win at odds of 99-1 in the Class Four second event over the minimum trip. Asia Rising, ridden by Douglas Whyte, became the first griffin from the country to win a Hong Kong race - and he's going to win a lot more, judging by this electrifying effort. He looked arguably the pick of the paddock but Asia Rising is no midget and the tight city track did not look ideal. But this one is a real racehorse and when Whyte, on straightening, gave him one with the whip, the result was stunning. Asia Rising changed up two gears and stormed home, easily grabbing Active Speed (12-1) and the long odds-on shot Spring Miles (6-5) in the last 75 metres. He won officially by a half length. Trainer Alex Wong Yu-on suggested a medal from South Africa and a meeting with Nelson Mandela might not be out of order as he helped make history. In more serious vein, he said: 'He's a lazy sort of horse in the stable and the mornings. But he is obviously completely different when he gets on to a racecourse.' While Wong went home happily plotting a future for Asia Rising, champion trainer David Hayes was left with the decidedly bitter ashes of defeat. Spring Miles is not the horse his trainer thought he was. 'There are no excuses, I am actually a bit stunned by it all. I was sure he was a really good horse.' Table-topping Robbie Fradd took the riding honours with a treble and is going to take some beating. He won the opener on Multi-Winner (5-1) and was on target again in the third event when 7-2 favourite All Satisfy scored tidily from Running Cue (18-1) before wrapping it up with bottomweight Pure Reality (7-1) in the sixth event.
