FAVOURITE Chiu Chow Warrior (5-2) and crowd hero Mick Kinane sent the fans home happy from Sha Tin yesterday when obliging in the final event. The Neville Begg-trained sprinter made it two wins from three outings - both over 1,200 metres - and the four-year-old certainly looked impressive in cutting out this length and a quarter win. Chiu Chow Warrior was drawn in barrier 13 but an exemplary ride from Kinane saw that particular barrier to success negated and he produced a typical ''no favours asked, none given'' effort to safely see off the chief opposition. While there may not have been real depth to this field of 14, the manner in which Chiu Chow Warrior swept through to take it up suggested his winning days may not necessarily be numbered. Trainer Begg has had a good run lately and turned out the winner in impeccable condition. He was also quick to pay tribute to Kinane and said: ''It was a top ride and it needed to be from that barrier at that trip. It was very pleasing and I hope I can get maybe another one out of him a little later.'' The crowd also waded into the quinella which featured the Jackie C. K. Tse-ridden Bogie's Pride (5-1), who was also drawn out (10) but came through to issue a strong challenge half-way down the straight. But Chiu Chow Warrior was much too strong and Bogie's Pride held on safely for second in front of Super Bomb (9-2), who ran a fair race under John Marshall. Rank outsider Diamond Treasure (99-1), who looked above himself in condition, ran well to finish fourth. Trainer Bruce Hutchison enjoyed a pleasing change of luck when Irish import Free Zone (35-1) caused a major upset in the opening event. It has been a trying season for the long-serving trainer but this was a tidy win under K. H. Little Hung, who has had a much better season than several that have gone before. Free Zone jumped awkwardly and Hung had to push him along in mid-race as the pace went on in the straight, 1,000-metre dash. But Free Zone got it together in the final stages and powered home down the centre of the track to edge out California Gold (5-1) by a neck with Flying Supreme (5-1), a further three parts of a length away in third spot. Hutchison, saddling up his seventh winner of the season, said: ''I'm glad he's won but it was a fairly weak race to be quite honest about it. I think he is quite a nice horse and he has been coming to himself recently. ''He is in Class Two but I really thought he would need a Class Three race to be competitive. I'll just have to see how he comes out of this before deciding what to do with him.'' California Gold, brought back to this trip after scoring effortlessly over it early in the season, looked the winner until Free Zone loomed up while Flying Supreme, the early leader, weakened out of it in the crucial stages. Race favourite Sir Valid (9-2) has been a disappointing type throughout his local career and finished sixth.
