South African trainer David Ferraris and compatriot Douglas Whyte entered into a mutual admiration session after Chater Lane gave the rookie trainer another double yesterday.
'It isn't for nothing that Douglas is the champion jockey here every year,' Ferraris observed after a nail-biting win by Chater Lane in the fifth event. 'He was really in trouble in the straight on Chater Lane, in between horses, but he didn't panic. He just waited for his chance and that was a champion's ride.'
Ferraris, making a serious impression very early in his rookie season in Hong Kong, had earlier scored with Fortune Maple (Glyn Schofield), who gave him no worries in the first, but Chater Lane was another matter until Whyte found his way clear to swamp lightweight Mamouska.
'Funny thing, I probably would not have had more than one or two rides for David in South Africa,' Whyte said later. 'He started training in Cape Town on the other side of the country and not long after that I came over here, so our paths didn't cross.
'I do recall riding one winner for him when I was home during a summer break, though. Somebody was ill or injured and I picked up the ride and managed to win on it. But he's settled in immediately here - his horses are looking the part, they feel the part and they're doing the job. He's a guy I want to be riding for on a regular basis.'
The double gave Ferraris six wins from his opening nine meetings in Hong Kong and the South African has Chater Lane pencilled in as a horse to give him more wins. 'I don't think he'll stop there,' he said. 'He's a nice young stayer, quite sound and I think there's plenty of scope with him.'