John Size quietly took his third championship season deeper into uncharted territory yesterday, with a double from a pair of lower-class front-runners taking him to 71 wins for the term. Just last season, Size prepared 67 winners and became the most successful trainer in Hong Kong since the Jockey Club limited a trainer's stable to a maximum of 60 horses, some 15 years ago. Only the great George Moore - 11 times champion trainer of Hong Kong - ever prepared more than Size in the pre-60 days, and even he only did it once (1982). Size and jockey Shane Dye worked a familiar but reliable game plan with South African-bred galloper Ahead A Head ($127), who went straight to the front in the Class Three contest over 1,800 metres on the all-weather track and held off his rivals to score a narrow win. 'I thought he'd run well provided he was left alone in front for some part of the race,' Dye explained. 'That's the important thing with him. If he gets some peace in front, he stays balanced. Today, he was quite well balanced so he fought on much better.' Dye did a similar barrier-to-post navigation at the head of affairs on Australian-bred Danehill gelding Dr Well, who broke his maiden at 2,000 metres in the seventh, although it was only his fourth day at the races. 'He raced well the other day [third to Kingston Glory] but he's a real one-pacer,' Dye continued. 'So today, when he'd had an easy time in front for most of the race, I got into him from the 600 metres. He's run right away from them in the final stages and this win will do his confidence a lot of good.' The stable went within a neck of landing a third winner on the afternoon when richly-bred Flying Spur gelding New Milestone - a three-quarter brother to Hidden Dragon - led for all but the last two bounds of the Class Four contest over 1,650 metres on the all-weather (race eight). 'It was a bit unfortunate for his owners, he's been knocking on the door but just hasn't quite been able to win one,' Dye said. 'But he will - there will be a race for him next season.' Craig Williams was the villain to New Milestone's cause, bringing Being Famous ($252.50) with a late rush to claim the prize for freshman trainer Danny Shum-shing. It was Williams' 29th winner this season. Being Famous was specked late in betting from 34-1 to 24-1 despite his disappointing 11th to Knight Templar over 1,800 metres on the turf just seven days earlier.
