Jockey Shane Dye kept his good start to the season ticking over with a double at Happy Valley and fended off criticism of his tactics on Danriva recently by making the difference for the gelding in race nine. Dye won on Namjong Spirit for Sean Woods in the seventh then followed up with a highly-positive ride that got John Size-trained Danriva home by a head in the ninth. Stepping up to the 1,800 metres course he seems to like, Danriva began strongly and Dye had no hesitation going forward on the gelding. 'I guess Shane didn't have that many options on this course today and from the wide draw,' Size said. 'Danriva can sometimes be a bit slow out. But if he started cleanly, he was either going to go forward or he was going to be in trouble winning the race from out wide. But in saying that it was a terrific ride.' Dye had attracted some criticism of his tactics in leading at Sha Tin recently on Danriva, who compounded to finish 11th that day, although Dye reported to the stewards afterwards that the horse did not feel right. He then rode Danriva from behind to win at Happy Valley at his next start yesterday. 'The thing is that he loves Happy Valley,' Dye said yesterday. 'I don't really understand the criticism of me going forward on him and I think today everyone saw that it makes no difference, especially when he gets up to this sort of distance. But what does make a difference is the softer track here which he appreciates. Sure it wasn't a wet track today, but the composition of the track makes it softer than Sha Tin even when it's dry.' Dye's earlier winner, Namjong Spirit, looked likely to win more convincingly than his eventual half-length when he emerged to challenge but trainer Woods said that was just the horse. 'But he got a good run through them and poked through at the right time,' Woods said. 'He's pretty straightforward to train and pretty genuine but I'm pleased to win with him - you know he's come to me through two good trainers in Tony Cruz and John Size, so it wasn't going to be easy to improve on their results. He's won and I'm happy and now we have to see what the handicapper does. 'Namjong Spirit is in a race here on Wednesday night and he'll back up in it if the handicapper doesn't give him too much penalty for this and push him out of the race ratings.' Namjong Spirit was one of two 'Namjong' horses Woods was given at the start of this season, and the other also ran yesterday, Namjong Heart finishing fourth in race six. 'He's going well too, so hopefully I'll have a win with both soon,' Woods said. Woods moved to six wins for the term yesterday in a good performance for such an early stage of his rookie year, while Dye's double took him to 15 and equal second with suspended Eric Saint-Martin in the jockeys' table. Douglas Whyte, who had one win yesterday - in the fourth race with Able Marshall - leads on 18.
