Alex Lai Hoi-wing broke a golden rule when he refused a chance to go to the fence on Winning Reward in the final race, but the claiming apprentice knew exactly what he was doing.
Lai had partnered outsider Beautiful Dreamer to a late-closing second behind Douglas Whyte's mount Chater Power in the Class Three handicap (1,200m) two races earlier and had no doubt that being wider on the track in the home straight was the place to be.
'I was much happier staying one horse off the fence, and I was particularly happy to find Brett Prebble on the favourite Silver Sun on my inside as we went down the back straight,' Lai said.
'Coming to the home turn, my horse was going very easily and I made the decision to get going first. That way, I knew there would be nothing getting in my way because I wanted to be the first one to get to the outside.'
Winning Reward had raced without luck behind Noble Conqueror at the midweek meeting 11 days earlier and Lai said that unlucky performance, where he was blocked behind a wall of horses, was a positive for yesterday's race.
'We knew he did not have a hard race last time because of the bad luck but I didn't want any more bad luck. I wanted him to be in the clear and be able to make the first move.'