THERE'S no substitute for class and record-breaking Irish champion jockey Mick Kinane looked just that when snapping straight into winning ways on his return to racing Hong Kong-style at Happy Valley last night. Kinane notched a 171/2-1 double to kick start retaining trainer David Oughton into action for the season. They scored with mud-lover Owners Spirit in the fifth event and completed their double when the improving sprinter Classabove held Illico in a driving finish to the final event. Kinane, fresh from defending his title at home, was in buoyant mood after racing. He beamed: ''I'm really hopeful of things this season. It should be somewhat easier second time round as I simply know more about the place. ''David's team was also dreadfully unlucky last season. He had them in fantastic form and we were really flying during November only for the virus to strike. ''After that they never recaptured their form. They ran in and out but did not come back to themselves overall.'' Kinane's Owners Spirit was untroubled to hold L'Enjoleur on whom champion jockey Basil Marcus excelled in running the quinella. But it was Classabove's success which was the quality win of the night and Kinane went on: ''David told me he'd done terribly well from last season and he certainly raced like that. ''He was tardy at the start and in the circumstances put in a big and brave effort to get up and win.'' Ivan Allan, out of luck with Illico, had earlier notched a double of his own via Duet Danseurs in the first and the progressive All Thrills in the fourth. Allan has now sent out seven winners and is going to be hard to beat in the trainers' championship. Darren Gauci had Duet Danseurs travelling very sweetly in behind the pace-setting Satisfaction Plus and Prudent King and as they turned for home it looked to be only a question of when he was wanted to press the go button. But Satisfaction Plus, very well ridden by maximum claimer Eddie W. M. Lai, had only 108 pounds on his back and he proved troublesome to run down. There was only a half length in it on the line, the pair pulling clear. Allan said: ''I was very confident he would run well until it started pouring down with rain. He'd been working very well but once the rains come you never really know how they are going to handle the conditions.'' All Thrills looks as if he will improve significantly over the coming months. He came through strongly to run down the consistent but luckless Clear Classic who was brilliantly ridden in defeat by Darren Beadman. Watch out for All Thrills again over 1,400 metres or a mile. The rain came just to order for Lawrie Fownes' wet-track specialist Blazing Fire in the second event - and so, too, did a gap on the inside rail. Visiting international rider Dave Penna came from eighth on the veteran handicapper to catch Fit For Royalty by a head with 7-2 favourite Bumper Star another head back in third. Marcus, successful on All Thrills and so effective on L'Enjoleur, was another in double form. His second winner coming courtesy of David Hill's Chater Star in the sixth. The South African made every post a winning one on the Beldale Flutter gelding who was another to relish the rain-soaked track. Allan's Ka Fook looked irresolute as Gary Carter scrubbed him home for third.
