If Almond Lee Yee-tat ever tires of racing, he might take up cricket because his winning approach with yesterday's upset winner Skyview Bar would have served him well as a fast bowler in the gentleman's game. As every paceman worthy of a test cap knows, variation is everything. If you're not getting the batsman out by bowling line and length, then you have to try something different. Dig one in short, drift one away from the right hander, or possibly put a yorker straight in the blockhole. Skyview Bar has been disappointing since a sharp spurt of early season form, so Lee was ready to mix it up a little for this race. And in the wake of a 24-1 upset over topweight Dim Sum (Glen Moss) and Ultra Fantasy (Douglas Whyte), stewards were interested to know more about Lee's variation. 'When he won first-up in September, he was fresh for that race because we hadn't done much with him - it was sheer freshness that won for him that day, I think,' Lee said. 'But lately, he's been a bit stale, and not as sharp. Let's face it, he's been disappointing. So if you look at his trackwork, I have really turned things around. I've given him some very sharp gallops and he's made fast time for the final 400 metres on more than one occasion. That is not normally my style but it was something different, something to wake him up. And he's responded.' The trainer also called on a gear change, returning to side winkers for Skyview Bar. Lee's background is important here, because his former boss David Hayes is a master at making subtle gear changes with winning impact. 'When he won at 1,000 metres he had the side winkers, but in his wins at 1,400 and 1,600 metres, he hasn't worn them,' Lee said. 'This race was 1,200 metres and it was my other decision, yes, let's put the side winkers back on.' The final change was only made after watching the pattern of racing over the previous seven events. 'Originally, I wanted him ridden close to the speed but after watching so many winners coming from back in the field, I asked the jockey [Alex Lai Hoi-wing] to be more patient.' Skyview Bar, originally sourced through David Price Bloodstock, has now won seven races and yesterday's first prize of HK$912,000 took his career earnings to HK$5.2 million.