Trainer David Hayes welcomed in an old chum at Sha Tin yesterday as Celestial Magic landed the Pok Oi Cup.
But he was doubly excited with news of a new arrival from an infrequent source - Argentina.
'I'm just thrilled with this horse. Not many horses here win 50 per cent of their starts. He's a bit quirky at the gates, he can do a few things wrong but he just keeps producing the goods and it doesn't seem to matter what you ask of him,' Hayes said after Celestial Magic (Craig Williams) won his sixth race in Hong Kong from 13 starts and maintained his unbeaten 1,000metre record in the day's feature.
'He's won on the dirt, on the turf wet and dry, around the turns, up the straight. He's such a versatile horse and he never runs from a fight. A very tough racehorse.'
Hayes said that despite the gelding's liking for the straight 1,000 metres, he reckoned he would be even better suited if Hong Kong had a straight 1,200-metre track.
'I guess we'll keep for sprints for the time being but I'd love to see them extend this straight track - then Celestial Magic would just jump and travel. Over this short trip you just have to push him along a bit but the results come the right way anyway, I suppose,' Hayes said.
