After last week's return to racing at Sha Tin, the talk of the track was the increased depth of riding competition in Hong Kong. Six days later, the person setting the standard was the one supposedly most challenged by it - four-times champion Douglas Whyte.
With three of the scheduled 78 meetings now decided, Whyte is back in his familiar position, out in front on the Hong Kong jockeys' premiership, with five winners from 26 rides at a strike rate of 19.2 per cent.
Yesterday's Sha Tin treble came from eight rides and gave Whyte a better-than-usual opportunity to showcase his talents by landing the eighth race with perennial non-winner Seasons Treasure ($232.50), whose maiden status in local racing finally dissolved at the 38th time of asking.
Earlier, Whyte had cajoled an extra effort from $36 favourite Hapi Hapi in the seventh after it looked certain that outsider Horse Around (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) would prevail.
And the opening leg of the trouble had been a trouble-free exhibition in the Class Four (1,000m) on favourite Bulb King ($21.50).
Only the opening meeting on September 5 was a Whyte-free zone, with the Durban Demon then putting his stamp on Wednesday night's Happy Valley fixture with a double on Fantastic Win and Successive Gains.
