Tsui proves to be a first-class trainer even with second-class horses

Me Tsui Yu-sak can take a bow. Licensed as a trainer just three years ago, coming from the relative anonymity of being an assistant for so many years, the understated horseman is now the leading local trainer in town - and by a good margin.

Yesterday's double with Silver Wraith (Alex Lai Hoi-wing) and Horse Win Win (Anthony Delpech) continued Tsui's outstanding run of form, that began with a stroke of good luck when Spirit Of Lo Pan got a race on protest on January 6. He has now added 11 more since the stewards gave a helping hand and is showing no signs of slowing down.

The win of heavily bet Horse Win Win will have gained Tsui even more kudos, having selected the four-year-old himself from a choice of three potential buys and the gelding has won at only the second time of asking.

Tsui's double continued an extraordinary run. Yesterday he leapfrogged David Ferraris into fifth spot on the premiership with his 24th and 25th winners. And to put that into perspective, he's now only four winners behind second-placed Tony Cruz.

The thing that has gained Tsui such widespread respect is that he's had no free kicks. There isn't a single star in the team, and he's had to squeeze every win from limited horses, many of which had simply failed with their previous trainers.

He was doing the same thing last year, but this term has gone to another level. The man himself puts it all down to the learning process.